Lost Snowflake
by AlphaGirl404
Summary: (AU) Several months before her sibling is born, Princess Elsa is kidnapped and never seen again. Princess Anna spends most of her life never knowing about her sister. 15 years after Elsa's disappearance, Anna's life is saved by a mysterious young woman with unusual abilities. Coincidentally, this woman shares the same name as Anna's missing sister. *NOT ElsAnna* *In-Progress*
1. A Bittersweet Beginning

**A Bittersweet Beginning**

 _February 16th, 1821_

Arendelle Castle was quiet as most of the inhabitants were sleeping through the night, save for a few guards patrolling. Inside the castle, 3-year-old Princess Elsa was peacefully sleeping in her room. As she slept, however, she did not hear the sound of her bedroom window open.

Entering her room from the window were two cloaked figures as they came here with an objective: to take the little princess. They quietly made their way to her bed, trying to be careful not to wake her up. As they did, one of them accidentally tripped over some toys that were scattered around.

The loud noise took Elsa out of her sleep and discovering the two figures. Before she can scream for help, one of them grabbed her and covered her mouth. Elsa struggled to get out of his grasp. As she did, she waved her hand and ice spikes came out and struck the wall, narrowly missing her captor. The kidnapper then banged her head against the wall so hard that it knocked her out. They quickly tied her up and stuffed her in a bag.

"So it is true," said one of the captor looking at the ice at the wall. "This girl can make snow & ice."

"And someone like her would be worth a lot of money," said the other. The sounds of footsteps caught their attention. "We better get out quickly!"

The two captors made due with their prize and climbed out the window, not even bothering to close it. Once they made outside of the wall, they both fled the castle and into the woods.

The next and only noise that came from the castle that night, was the sound of a scream of despair and shock.

* * *

 _That Morning..._

"Your Majesty, we're looking everywhere we can think of to find your daughter."

"Then look harder, please!" King Agdar of Arendelle practically begged to the captain. "Double the search! Hell, triple them if you have too!"

"We'll do everything we can."

The captain of the guard took a bow and left the throne room to join back to the search, leaving the king alone. Agdar was worried. No scratch that, he was beyond frantically worried sick. Sometime during the night, his daughter Elsa had gone missing. Since then, he hasn't slept a wink. While no one knew what had occurred, Agdar had believed that Elsa was possibly kidnapped due to the fact some things in her room were knocked over and some ice shards were found on the walls. To add to his horror, small touches of blood were found on her wall.

The sounds of doors opening were heard. Agdar looked up to see Kai, one of the top servants in the castle and Agdar's closest friend. The head servant had always been there for the king through his hardships. Kai walked up to the throne and took a quick slight bow.

"Your majesty. How is the search coming along?"

Agdar didn't need to say anything, for his somber expression gave his answer.

"Oh, I see then," Kai answered, with a slight tone of disappointment in his voice as he had hoped that the search party had made progress to finding the little princess. He and his wife Gerda were fond of the young girl. Elsa was just as important to him as she is to her parents.

"How is my wife doing, Kai?"

"She's...doing alright, for the most part. Though it might be helpful for you her if you were at each other's side."

"I think I'll go do that." Agdar stood from his throne and made his way to the door.

"Agdar."

"Yes, Kai?"

"I'm sorry for your troubles. I do pray that she'll be found."

"Thank you. I...appreciate it."

The king left the throne room and made his way around the castle. Servants and remaining guards look at him with the same worried looks on their faces. Agdar's expressions seem to already answer their questions about his daughter's whereabouts.

Finally, the king made it to the door of his and his wife's room. Taking a deep breath, he gently knocked on the door. The door opened revealing Gerda on the other side.

"King Agdar. Have they found her yet?" Gerda asked.

"No...they haven't," he answered.

"Oh dear," she muttered. "The poor thing. I'm so sorry your majesty. Truly I am."

"Thank you for your kind words, Gerda. How's Idun doing?"

"She's...trying to keep it together. What with her condition." Gerda took a quick glance back, presumably looking at the queen, before turning her head back. "Is there anything I can do for you both? Anything at all?"

"Right now, I wish to be alone with her, please."

"But of course." Gerda stepped out of the room and let the king in.

Agdar said his farewell to Gerda and slowly closed the door. Once that was done, he turned to see the back side of his wife, Idun, sitting on the opposite side of their bed. He walked to her and saw her head facing the ground. Idun clearly had been crying as her eyes were puffy red. The queen had one hand placed on the bed edge, while the other was around her bulging stomach. For in her stomach was her and Agdar's second child that was due to be born in several months.

"Idun?" Agdar sat next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, I suppose," Idun responded before turning to face him. "Tell me. Is there any sign of her yet?"

Agdar shook his head. This, of course, caused Idun to place her free hand on her mouth and slightly turn away from him. Tears came out of her eyes and she slightly sobbed. Agdar gently put his arm around her and held her close.

"It's Arianna's baby all over again," Idun sobbed, referring to her sister, the Queen of Corona, kidnapping of her infant daughter a few years back.

"Everything will be alright," Agdar assured.

Idun looked up to him. "How can you say that? Our daughter is out there. Probably scared, confused, and alone. If she was kidnapped and her captors found out what she can do, oh God…"

"I don't want to think about that…" Agdar gently put both his hands on his wife's face. "But we need to keep it together. Not only for Elsa, Arendelle but for our second child."

The pair looked down at Idun's pregnant stomach. Each of them putting their own hand on it, feeling the baby kicking.

"Elsa was excited to be an older sister," Idun brought up. "She kept talking about how she'll always play with her little sibling. How she'll take care of them. And promised to...always be there for them."

Idun couldn't hold it anymore. She started to cry even harder than before. Agdar can only hold his wife closely and she cried into his shoulder. Small tears also came down from his eyes as he held her. They both remained on the bed, holding each other and shedding tears. Right now, they can only hope that Elsa will be found soon.

* * *

 _4 months later..._

Agdar was outside of a room, slowly pacing back and forward. This had been going for hours and he was worried for the well being of his wife. It would seem that universe had a wicked sense of humor since today was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year and that did not help put the king at ease. After what felt like an eternity, Gerda emerged from the room.

"Gerda! How is she? Are they...?"

Gerda gave a smile. "They are both fine your majesty. Queen Idun had given birth to a healthy baby girl."

Agdar instantly felt the anxiety that had haunted him for hours escape from him and was filled with relief and happiness.

"May I seem them?"

Gerda nodded and gestured for him to go in. Agdar saw the midwife packing up her supplies on one side of the room before she left. On the side lied Idun in the bed holding a bundle wrapped in blankets.

Idun glanced up and smile at her husband as he walked to her bedside. "Agdar...Meet our new daughter."

Turning his attention to the bundle, Agdar saw the young infant in his wife's arms. Slowly, he bought his hand to his daughter's cheek and stroke it. The baby had Idun's nose, and also had his hair color. She seemed to be a perfect mix of both of them.

"She's beautiful. You did a good job."

"What do you think we should name her, Agdar?"

"Well...do you have anything in mind?"

Idun went silent as she thought of a name. Every one that popped she quickly pushed aside. But one name came to her.

"How about...Anna?"

"Why that name?"

"You don't like it?"

"I'm not saying that. I was wondering why that name?"

"Elsa suggested it..."

Agdar was caught off guard with that revelation. "...When?"

"It was shortly before she...was taken. Elsa asked me if you and I picked out names yet. She suggested Anna if our baby was a girl because...she thought it sounded cute. I told her we would talk about it." Some tears went down Idun's eyes. Agdar slowly wiped them off. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting like this, especially on such a happy moment. But I can't help but think that Elsa isn't here to see her new sister. She would've loved her."

"It's okay, my love. Don't ever feel ashamed for missing our sweet Elsa. But right now, our Anna needs us."

Idun smiled at her husband, as she felt a sense of glee that he agreed to the name. They heard the sounds coming from Anna. Both of them watch as their daughter opens her eyes for the first time. Her eye color was a beautiful shade of blue.

"She has your eyes," Agdar remarked to his wife.

"Actually, I think I see a small touch of your color in there as well. A turquoise color perhaps. I can't take all the credit."

Agdar couldn't help but chuckle at that.

* * *

Later on, nightfall upon to the sky. Queen Idun had turned in for the night after such a tiring day. Agdar in the meantime was sitting by the window while his daughter slept in a cot. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her.

Memories of Elsa's birth then came to him. He remembered when he first held her. The first time she showed her ice powers. Then her first word. And her first steps. The most notable one he remembered was the day he and Idun told her that she was gonna be a big sister and her excited reaction afterward. Agdar tried to hold back the tears as those memories of Elsa went through his head. Though they stopped when he heard Anna suddenly sneeze. The sudden awakening did not phase over to her well and she started to cry.

Agdar gently picked her up from her cot and slowly rocked her. "Shh...shh...It's okay."

Anna continued to cry as Agdar tried every attempt to calm her down. So far, nothing had worked. He then had one idea. Something he used to do with Elsa when she was a baby.

 _"Come stop your crying_  
 _It will be alright_  
 _Just take my hand_  
 _And hold it tight"_

At that moment, Anna's crying started to die down a bit.

 _"I will protect you_  
 _From all around you_  
 _I will be here,_  
 _Don't you cry"_

Much to Agdar's relief, Anna finally calmed down. It had been a while since he sang that lullaby, much less sing entirely. The young king brought his attention back to his daughter who was reaching out for him.

Agdar held her close. "Everything's okay now. Papa's here. Papa's got you."

What Agdar didn't know that Idun had indeed awoken from Anna's crying, but didn't say anything. She watched how Agdar would handle her. Despite his assurances, the past few months she secretly feared that the loss of Elsa might cause him to distance himself from the baby. Needless to say, she was happy to see her husband bond with Anna and finally put her fears to rest. Quietly, she decided to resume her sleep and let Agdar have his moment.

The little baby yawned and Agdar pulled her away. She closed her eyes and she fell asleep right in her father's arms. Agdar gave a kiss on the newborn's forehead.

"I promise, I won't let anything happen to you, Anna."

* * *

 **Hello Frozen fans. This is my first Frozen fanfic so...Just thought I warn you about that.**

 **Anyways this fic is based on an thought that came to me. Even before the accident in Frozen, I believed Agdar & Idun (Elsa & Anna's parents) wouldn't let Elsa show her powers outside of the castle, for safety reasons. My guess they were going to wait for her to be old enough to decide that, but of course the accident changed that. **

**So it got me thinking: What if somehow rumors about Elsa's powers spread? That of course will attract all sorts of attention. Perhaps the attention of people who would use her to exploit her powers. Blunt and behold this story was born.**

 **Of course for the most part, this story will be focused around Anna and how this affects her life.** **I just hope I didn't make this chapter TOO heart-wrenching.**

 **Things to note:**

 ***Arianna is the name of Rapunzel's mother. The Tangled tv show can confirm that.**

 ***I am going by the headcanon that Idun and Arianna are sisters.**

 ***Idun has blue eyes and Agdar has green eyes. Anna's eyes are a turquoise blue**. **According to the Disney Frozen wiki of course.**

 ***Anna was apparently born on the Summer Solstice. Again, Disney wiki;)**

 **Ps.I don't own Frozen. Disney does**

 **Hope you enjoyed.**


	2. Fun in the Snow

**Fun in the Snow**

 _December 22nd, 1826_

Over the past few years, Anna had grown to be quite an energetic child. Agdar & Idun didn't mind that at all. They have given her all the love that she needed. Agdar especially was guilty of this. He quite often at times spoiled her rotten and could never bring himself to punish her whenever she does something bad. There are still boundaries but Anna rarely ever crossed them.

As the years progressed, the King & Queen have grown rather understandably protective of their daughter. They always made sure to be with her whenever they could. Anna didn't know why her parents were like this but didn't mind the attention since she loved being with people, especially her family.

However, they were still royalty and that does have its downsides. Her parents, especially her father, had duties to attend to, so they often don't spend as much time with her as she wanted. Idun was sometimes around, but she has her own duties as well. There were the servants, but they didn't want to play with dolls, ride bicycles, or go play in the garden on snow days.

Like today. The 5-year-old princess had seen the snow-covered ground and wanted to go to play. But as usual, her parents were busy. Even Kai & Gerda were too busy. Anna really loved to play games, but it feels so empty playing by herself. It didn't help that her parents kept her in the castle. She often wishes that she can have someone like her to play in the snow with her all the time.

At the moment, Anna was in the middle of building a snowman. After building the body and head, she went to looking around for other things to put on it. Anna manages to find two twigs and place each one on one side. However, she felt like her snowman wasn't finished. She looked at it and was trying to decide.

"What else to put on you?"

"Perhaps I can help," came a voice.

Anna turned to the sight of her father. A huge smile grew on her face.

"Papa!" Anna gave a big hug around his legs. It's not often that her father is around to play with her, let alone in the snow. "Are you going help me finish making my snowman, Papa?"

"I would love too, sweetheart."

"Yay! Thank you! What do you think we should put on him?"

"Well let's see what the snowman needs first," Agdar suggested as he looked at Anna's snowman. "Hmm...he looks like he could use some buttons."

"Buttons got it."

"And he definitely needs eyes. We wouldn't want him to be blind now, would we?"

"Oh, no."

"Alright then. There's one more thing he needs, but I can't seem to put my finger on it." Agdar knew of course what else to put on the snowman, but he wanted to see if Anna would figure it out.

"I know, he needs a nose!" Anna chimed

"Ah, a nose! That's what we need," Agdar said snapping his fingers. "So here's what we'll do. We need to find some rocks for the buttons and eyes. Perhaps we'll even find a nose for him as well."

"Okay, papa!"

And so the two split up to search the garden for their materials. Anna found a couple of rocks that she thinks might work. Unfortunately, she couldn't say the same for the nose. After finding the rocks they both put the finishing touches.

"Now our snow friend can see and had buttons," Agdar said.

"But I couldn't find a nose for him," Anna had a look disappointment before her face suddenly brightened up. "Wait! I saw some icicles around. Maybe we can use those!"

"I don't think icicles will do."

"Aw, why not papa? It'll make him look cool"

"You are right about that, but icicles are sharp. We wouldn't want our snowman to poke someone with his nose, would we?"

"Oh." Anna sighed disappointedly.

"Why not go to the kitchen and get a carrot. That would make a good nose."

"Mama said that carrots are for eating only."

Agdar gave a playful smile. "I think we can make an exception."

"Okay!" Anna manages to run a few feet away. "Can you keep my snowman company please?"

"Will do sweetheart," Agdar replied.

"Thanks, papa!."

With that, Anna left the garden to fetch the carrot. That left the king alone with the snowman. Agdar gazed on to his daughter's handiwork. Looking at the snowman brought him back old memories. Those were once deemed happy memories at the time they occurred. Now the memories contained nothing but reminders of the missing member of the royal family.

"Agdar?" came a gentle voice.

The king turned to see his wife, Idun, standing a few feet away from him.

"Oh, Idun," Agdar stood up. "I was just...watching this snowman for Anna."

"Where is she?"

"She's getting a nose for him. I suggested a carrot and she agreed. You don't mind?"

"As long it's one and the rest of the carrots are for eating, I think I can handle it."

That earned a chuckled from Agdar.

"Would you like to take a quick stroll with me in the garden while you wait for Anna?" Idun asked.

"I think that sounds like a good idea."

The two rulers walk alongside each other in the snow-covered garden. Each season in Arendelle brings out all kinds of beauty. Some believed that winter is the most beautiful of them all.

"How did the rest of the meeting go?" Agdar asked

"It went alright," Idun answered. "I told them you weren't feeling well."

"You didn't have to handle the rest of it. I was fine."

"No, you weren't. You've been out of it of most of the day. And I think I know why, given what today is."

Agdar looked away for a brief moment. "It's her birthday, today."

Idun wrapped her arms around her husband, as Agdar did the same with her.

"I still miss her," Idun muttered.

"Believe my love. Not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of her," Agdar added. "Each day it gets harder. So hard that sometimes I just want to...give up and let it go. But I have to keep reminding myself that I still have things to fight for." Agdar slowly stroked his wife's face. "There's you for starters." That was a sentence that Idun couldn't but give a smile to. "Then there's Arendelle. There's no way I would ever abandon this kingdom. But the last and most important thing is making sure Anna has a father in her life."

"You must realize that one day she'll get curious. Sooner or later she'll start hearing about her. We have to tell her about Elsa one day."

"I know that, love. It's not a day I look forward too. When the time is right we'll tell her. For now, we keep it from Anna."

After holding each other a bit longer, the couple resumes their stroll. They admired the beauty that the winter brought to their garden.

"I'm surprised you went straight out here rather than our room or your study," Idun brought up. "Every time it snows, you stay inside and only come out when needed to. Why come out now? After 5 years?"

"Truth to be told, I have no idea," Agdar answered. "This season brings so many memories of Elsa. I didn't want to be reminded. But something in me told me to come out here. And just by luck, Anna was building a snowman. I decided to help her and we had fun. It brought back memories when things were different. I felt...joy."

"Perhaps it was your instinct that guided you here. Maybe it's telling you that can't dwell on the past forever. That you need to move on."

"I think you're right about that. I need to move forward. I don't know what happened to Elsa, but I'll never let her memory die."

"Because it will live through Anna," Idun place her hand on his face. "And as your wife, I'll be there to help you."

Agdar smiled at his wife. "You always were a bright woman. Where would I be without you?"

"The kingdom would be lost," she joked to which they both laughed a bit.

"I'm serious dear," Agdar said.

"Well if you want a serious answer, without me you wouldn't be getting this." Idun gave a quick kiss on her husband's lips.

"You're definitely right about that. Allow me to return the favor."

Agdar wrapped an arm around his wife's waist and kissed her lips, this time with a little more passion. The royal couple held each other close and continue to kiss. This went on for quite a few minutes. That is until they heard the sound of a little girl's giggle. The monarchs ceased their romantic moment and saw their daughter with a playful look on her. In her hand was the carrot she went to retrieve. A small shade of red had appeared on both adults cheeks.

"Oh, Anna!" Agdar exclaimed. "I see you found a carrot. How about we put it on him now."

"Oh ok," Anna said while giggling again.

The family made their way to the snowman. Anna put the carrot on where the nose would be. At last, her snowman was finally done.

"Now he's perfect!" Anna said with excitement.

"It's a wonderful snowman, Anna," Idun complimented.

"Thanks, mama. Papa helped too."

"I just helped you find the eyes and buttons," Agdar stated.

"But you still helped!"

"Well I think you both did a wonderful job," Idun said.

"See! Mama thinks you helped too."

"Well, I guess I can take some of the credit," Agdar stated, earning an amused smile from Idun.

"You sure you got your snowman everything?" Idun asked.

"Of course!" Anna asked.

"Well, I think there's one more thing missing."

"What is it?"

"A name."

"Oh. What do you think we should name him?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure. Perhaps your father has a suggestion."

"I do?" Agdar asked, to which Idun nodded.

Anna looked at her father. "What do we name him papa?"

Agdar did have a name in mind. He looked at his wife and she had a look that suggests that she knew what name he had chosen. A name that hasn't been heard in years.

"How does Olaf sound?"

"Olaf...I like it!" Anna exclaimed.

"I bet he loves warm hugs too," Idun also suggested.

Anna then quickly gave 'Olaf' a hug. Agdar and Idun smiled at the innocent gesture. Anna still had her arms around Olaf, unaware of the deep significance of the name to her parents.

* * *

 **Here's chapter 2 of this story. Sorry if this seem liked filler. I wanted to show a bit of Anna's life. That will be like that in the coming chapters.**

 **I also wanted to show Agdar & Idun's relationship (I've always head cannoned them to be somewhat hopeless romantics. Idk.). Along with how they interact with their daughter.**

 ***gasp!* Agdar said the thing!**

 **And we get a Olaf cameo (Its not the Olaf we all know though).**

 **One last quick thing I should note.**

 **This isn't going to be an ElsAnna fic.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. For Better or For Worse

**For Better or For Worse**

 _July, 1830..._

"Okay...One. Two. Three!"

Nine-year-old Anna ran down a wooded floor hallway that had been recently polished. As soon as she started running, she glided on the floor, thanks to the socks on her feet. She had glided perfectly at the other end of the hallway.

The princess was preparing herself for another slide. Before she even started to dash, she felt a small grip on her shoulder. Followed by the voice that she recognized was her father.

"Anna, what do you think you're doing?"

"I was about to glide down the hallway."

"Yeah, I don't think so."

"Aww, why not, papa?!"

"You could accidentally slide into something. Or trip and fall."

"What if I promise to be careful?"

"Accidents can happen, even if you think you're careful. I'm sorry, but it's best not to take any chances."

"Okay, fine…" Anna slightly frowned as Agdar guided her out of the hallway.

 _"Why is papa like this? Why won't he let me have fun?"_ she thought.

While Anna did love attention, she had come to believe as a thing as 'too much attention' over the past few years. She would've enjoyed it once upon a time, but her father's over-protectiveness had changed that.

Surely it couldn't get worse for her.

* * *

 _The next day…_

Agdar was in his study dealing with documents. It was something that he disliked, but someone had to get them done. The quietness made it more bearable for him, though. That is until...

 _BANG! CLANK!_

That was the sound that took Agdar's attention. Dropping what he was doing, he went out of his study and headed in the direction of the source of the crash. He was relieved, though also annoyed at the sight where the noise occurred.

"Hi, Papa!" Came Anna, who was in the arms of the knight's armor on display. Just a few inches away was a bicycle lying sideways, front wheel still spinning.

 _"Not again…"_

The princess then made an attempt to get off the armor's arms. One way she did is by squirming. Agdar was not taking any chances.

"Anna, don't move. Let me get you off." Agdar picked up Anna from the armor and placed her on the ground. He kneeled down to her eye level. "Are you alright? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"Nothing hurts."

"Did you hit your head?"

"No."

"Do you feel dizzy?"

"No."

"Feeling sick to your stomach?"

"No."

"How many fingers do I have?"

"Papa, I'm fine," Anna replied, clearly getting annoyed.

But her father still persisted. "Answer the finger question."

Anna gave an irritated sigh before answering. "Five."

"No, that's not right!" Agdar quickly stood to his feet. "Something's definitely wrong. I have..." Agdar gave a quick count on his fingers, suddenly realizing his daughter had answered correctly. "Oh...You're okay."

"Can I go back on my bike now?"

"Well first, tell me what happened."

"I was just riding my bike."

Agdar sternly looked at his daughter. The displayed armor just so happened to be near a staircase. It was clear he got the idea what happened, but wanted Anna to tell the truth. Eventually, his stare had gotten through to her.

"Alright...I was riding my bicycle in the upstairs hallway. I tried to ride it down the staircase...But I ended up hitting something, causing me to fly into the armor."

Agdar shook his head disappointingly. "Anna, what did I tell you about doing that?"

"That it is not safe and I could hurt myself'," the princess replied.

"You are correct, but you did it anyway when I told you not to the last time. Why did you do it again?"

"I...I thought I could do it perfectly this time."

"And did you?"

"No...Are you mad?"

Agdar took a deep breath. "I'm not mad. Its good thing that you're alright. However, you still disobeyed me. I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate your bike for a while."

"Okay…I guess I'll go talk to Joan, " Anna replied sadly as she walked away.

Agdar hates punishing his daughter, but this is the only way to get the message across to her. Picking up the bike, Agdar walked down the least he didn't have to worry about his daughter crashing into things with her bike for a short while.

Anna, the past few years had become more...daring. True Anna did odd things such as talking to paintings, and he was fine with that. He wasn't fine with her bouncing, sliding, heck even climbing in odd places. Places that Agdar didn't feel comfortable with.

 _"That girl is getting bolder and bolder. What happened to that girl who just simply played with dolls? Not doing crazy stunts!"_ he thought.

Agdar could only hope that it didn't get worse.

* * *

 _The next day..._

Queen Idun was walking in the halls. She was reading over a document when something caught her eye. Anna was walking towards her, with a picnic basket in her arms.

"Hi, mama!" Anna greeted with a smile.

"Hello sweetheart," Idun greeted. "Where are you off too?"

"Oh, I'm just going to have a picnic. I have yummy sandwiches. Do you want to join me?"

"I would love to Anna, but I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment. I hope you have a good picnic though."

"Okay!" Anna happily scurried away. "Bye, mama!"

 _"A picnic. Hopefully, that's enough to put Agdar at ease,"_ the queen thought to herself.

The past few years Idun had noticed Agdar becoming more overprotective towards Anna. She can fully understand his behavior, but she feared that his protectiveness will cause Anna to become more rebellious, or worse, strain her relationship with him. She hoped that it will never cross that line.

Clearly, things can't get worse from there. Right?

* * *

 _30 minutes later…_

Both rulers were having tea together. They had finally finished most of their work, so they decided to relax. It was one of the few times during the day they were together doing something they want, rather than their royal duties.

"It's nice to just simply relax, right dear?" Idun brought up.

"It is," Agdar agreed.

The queen gave a small smile. Maybe perhaps he'll just simply relax without worrying himself to death for a change.

"By the way, have you seen Anna today?" Agdar asked.

Clearly, Idun had thought too soon.

"If it'll put your mind at ease, I saw her about half hour ago on her way to have a picnic. There's no harm to that, is there Agdar?" Idun took a sip of her tea.

"I suppose so," Agdar agreed as he took a sip as well. "But I didn't see her in the garden when I walk past by there 15 minutes ago."

"That's odd. Where else could she be?"

The couple ponders the idea where their daughter could be. Agdar's eyes then suddenly widen in realization.

"Where did you see her last?"

"In the upstairs hallway, I believe."

It was then Agdar's eyes when from realization to horror. He then dashed out of the room, followed by Idun. The two quickly made their way to the courtyard and looked around. With reluctance, Agdar looked up to the roofs, his suspicions coming true. Anna was sitting high on the roof.

"How did she get up there?" Idun wondered out loud.

"Anna! Get down from the roof this instant!" Agdar shouted. However, Anna didn't flinch. Most likely because she couldn't hear her father, or was purposely ignoring him. Agdar can only hope it was the former.

It looks that things could get worse.

* * *

 _Much later…_

After getting Anna off the roof, Agdar and Idun, mostly the former, scolded her and told her the risks & danger she could've been. Anna, of course, insisted that she wasn't in any danger. Nonetheless, Anna was sentenced to stay in her room until supper. The princess, like any child, would probably react, wasn't happy. But she accepted her punishment.

Once that got dealt with, Agdar was sitting at his desk in his study rubbing his temple. Beside him was his wife.

"I swear, Idun. Each day that goes by, she gets bolder and bolder. I don't know what to do with her if this keeps up."

"Agdar I don't like her getting into these situations either, but I've been thinking that maybe you should let her...cut loose."

"What do you mean?"

"Anna is an active child. She's, of course, going to find ways to shed off that energy. Especially since she's always cooped up in this castle."

Agdar suspect that Idun was trying to make a point.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going somewhere with this conversation?"

"...I think maybe it's time Anna should go into the town," Idun bluntly stated.

"By herself?!"

"Of course not. I was suggesting we take into town more often. Anna hasn't been out of the castle since she was 4. She's just turned 9. Girls her age should be running outside, talking to people, and make friends."

Agdar looked doubtful at Idun's suggestion.

"I know you just want to protect her. Believe me, I understand your concerns. But we cannot shelter her forever. She needs to go out in the sun and socialize with others. If she's going to be queen one day, she should at least know her own kingdom. And for God's sake, let her be a child while she's still one."

Agdar thought about his wife's words carefully. As much he hated to admit it, Idun was right. Anna is almost at a stage where she should be socializing with others.

The king took a breath. "Alright. Tomorrow, we'll take into town, but only if she stays with us."

"Good. And as for here?"

"I guess I should let her cut loose. I should start by giving her bike back. There are still going to be rules though. For one thing, she has to promise not to ride down the stairs anymore. And she can go on the roof, only if she has either one of us, or Kai & Gerda watch her in case something happens. Lastly, she can only slide down empty hallways."

Idun gave a small smile. "I'm sure she'll be okay with that. And she'll most definitely be thrilled about going into town. This will be good for her Agdar. Who knows, maybe by the end of tomorrow she'll have a new friend."

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

Agdar can only hope her suggestion would be a good idea.

For better or for worse, he had no clue.

* * *

 **Here we see Agdar's overprotective side, much to Anna's dismay (:P).**

 **Kudos to anyone if you caught that Finding Nemo reference. I may reference other Disney movies (Pixar included) as well throughout this fic.**

 **And just a heads up, we may be seeing a certain ice harvester and his reindeer friend soon.**


	4. The Boy and his Reindeer

**The Boy and his Reindeer**

That night, Agdar had told his new rules towards Anna during supper. She disliked that there were new restrictions, but was glad that her father was finally letting her have some fun at least.

After that was done with, both he and Idun had told of their plans to go into the town the next day and that she was coming along too. That, of course, made her excited. She hasn't been out of the castle for several years. She couldn't contain her excitement for the rest of the evening.

* * *

The next morning, Anna had woken up earlier than usual. Still, in her pajamas, she ran out of her room and straight to her parent's chambers. Anna gently opened the door and walked into their room. To her dismay, both of her parents were still sleeping. However, she can't quite help but notice her father giving a quiet snore as drool came from the corner of his mouth. Her mother's hair looked very messy, one strand was even in her mouth corner. The sight made Anna giggle a bit before remembering her purpose.

"Mama! Papa! Wake up! We're going into the town today, remember? Come on wake up!"

Hearing Anna's voice, the couple were now in a half-awake, half-sleeping state.

"Your daughter is awake…" Idun mumbled.

"Before morning, she's your daughter," Agdar responded sleepily.

Anna was frustrated that her attempts weren't working. As a last resort, she jumped her parents on their bed. That definitely made them bolt upwards.

"You two promised!" Anna gave a pouty face as her parents tiredly stared at her.

"Anna, don't you think it's a little early? Some of us don't have to get up for..." Idun gave a yawn. "...a few hours."

"But…"

"You're mother is right, sweetheart. Besides, you don't want us to fall asleep while in town, do you?" Agdar said.

"I guess…" Anna then gave a small yawn.

"And I think you should go back to sleep too. Don't worry, we'll be in town before you know it."

"Okay." Anna got off the bed and went to the door. "By the way mama, your hair looks funny."

Before Idun could respond to that, Anna quickly left the room. The queen then heard a small chuckle from her husband.

"I heard that," Idun said.

"Well, she is right about your hair," Agdar remarked.

"And I can see your drool puddle from here."

* * *

After a few more hours of sleeping, everyone in the castle was awake. Both monarchs wanted to go to town as soon as possible to put Anna at ease, so they quickly got themselves and Anna ready. During breakfast, Anna gobbled her food down quite fast, to which her mother had to remind her of manners several times.

Then the time came where they can finally go. Anna's grin grew wide as the gates slowly opened. Once she did she quickly ran ahead, ignoring her parent's shouts. Between her and the town was the bridge. The princess got on top of a stone railing and clung on a lamppost to get a better view. The town looked bigger than she remembered.

"Anna! I thought we agreed that you stay with us." Agdar picked up his daughter from the lamppost and placed her back on the ground.

"Sorry, papa. I got a little too excited," Anna gave an apologetic look.

Agdar gave a reassuring smile. "It's fine sweetheart. Just try to stay close."

"Yes, papa."

"Good. Now let's be off."

All three members made their way into the town. They had made it to what Anna assumes to be the town square. Citizens nearby gave a greeting and bow as they walked by. Anna looked at the sights around her. Everything just seemed to make the young princess excited.

"What are we going to do first?" Anna asked.

"Before we do anything, your mother and I have some business to deal with first," Agdar brought up.

"Aw! But you promised we'll go explore the town."

"And we will as soon as we're done. For now, just be patient."

"Alright…" Anna agreed though disappointment in her voice was clear.

The family started walking. Anna was behind her parents, but still close enough for them to see her. Agdar still had a nervous look on his face. He looked back at her several times as they walked.

"Agdar, dear, just relax. Anna's not going anywhere," Idun tried to put her husband at ease.

"I know, love. I just can't help it sometimes," Agdar admitted.

"We're just going to enjoy a day in town. What's the worst that can happen?"

* * *

 _1 Hour later…_

The Royals were in Arendelle's nobility district of the town. Agdar felt the need to check up on things since he hasn't been out for a while. Both he and his wife were talking to some of the nobles. Anna, meanwhile, was laying on a bench nearby waiting for her parents to finish. She was clearly bored out of her mind. So far, the day hasn't gone as well as she hoped.

However, her waiting had been interrupted by a unique scent Anna had caught. Sitting upright, Anna sniffs the newfound scent. It was a sweet smell, one that she recognized as…

 _"Chocolate…"_ she concluded. _"Maybe I'll get some while I wait for mama & papa to finish."_

Getting off the bench, Anna followed the scent of chocolate. She continues to walk as she sniffs in the chocolate air. But a few minutes later, the chocolate scent couldn't be smelled anymore. Disappointed, Anna turned in the opposite direction.

But she then realized she's in an area that was unfamiliar to her. Anna hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings while in her chocolate trance. She found herself in a sea of people as she looked around for her parents. She couldn't find them and none of the people seem to offer to help her. Though Anna was dressed more like a commoner than a princess, plus the fact she didn't go into town much, was probably the reason no one recognized her.

 _"This is bad. This is really really bad…"_

From the corner of her eye, Anna saw an empty alleyway. She made a dash for it and made it there. The young girl sat against the wall to gather her bearings.

"Get it together Anna...Just calm down and think."

After a few minutes, Anna manages to calm herself down. The princess places her hands on her head, trying to think of a plan. Every option she could think of came to her.

 _"The square…"_

Yes! Of course! The town square was near the castle. All she had to do is go to the square and wait for her parents to find her there. The problem? She had no idea how to get there.

"Maybe if I just walk around, I'll get lucky and find myself there…hopefully."

Anna got back to her feet and stepped out of the ally. She decided to go in the direction she went earlier in her chocolate trance. She took this opportunity to look around. There was life bustling around the streets more than she had seen in the castle. At one point, she tried to ask for directions, but she can't seem to get anyone's attention. So far, her luck didn't turn up so Anna resumes her walking.

"Well, this is just great…" Anna muttered sarcastically as she kept walking. "My first trip in town in a long time, and I manage to get myself lost. Papa definitely won't let me out his sight out after this."

As Anna continued to walk, she looked around her surroundings. As she approached a turn, a sudden huge force had struck her hard and knocked her to the ground on her bottom.

"Hey!" Anna shouted.

"Are you alright?!" Came a voice.

Anna looked up to see the person who knocked her over. There was a boy, probably a few years older than her with blonde hair and brown eyes, in front of her. Besides him was a, presumably, juvenile reindeer.

"I, uh...I'm fine," Anna got on her feet.

"I'm so sorry about that." The boy apologized. "I'm sure Sven didn't mean to hit you."

"Sven?"

"My friend here," the boy patted the reindeer.

"It's fine. It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going...I kinda got myself lost from my parents."

"Oh...do you need any help?"

"Do you know your way to the town square? It's near the castle."

"Well the thing is...I'm not that familiar with the town."

"Oh," Anna looked down disappointingly. "Well, in that case, I should be going. Thanks anyway."

Anna was about to walk away before the boy spoke up.

"But I think I know how to find it!"

"You do?"

"Not far from here is the clock tower. Climb up the stairs and you'll see your destination. I can take you there if you want."

"Really? That be great!" Anna quickly went by the boy's side. "Since we'll be around each other for a bit, can you tell me your name please?"

"It's Kristoff? Yours?"

"My name's Anna. You probably heard of me. I'm the princess."

"You are?"

"Yeah. But no need to be fancy. You can just call me Anna."

"Alright then, Anna. Shall we be off?"

Anna nodded and started to walk along her new companions.

* * *

"So tell me. How you'd get yourself lost?" Kristoff asked sometime later.

"Oh well...It's kinda funny. I was waiting for my parents to stop talking to some rich people. You see, we were planning to enjoy a day in town and it's my first time out in a while. But my father wanted to get some business done. There's always a catch with him. Anyway, I suddenly smell the sweet scent of chocolate and I figure 'maybe I'll buy some while I wait' since I didn't think it was far. I followed the scent and but it soon went away. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and that's how...I...ended up lost…"

"Okay so let me get this straight. You got yourself lost just because you wanted some chocolate?"

"Pretty much. I know not to do that again." Anna gave a slight blush and a nervous laugh. "What about you? Is your family with you?"

"My family lives up in the valleys. I recently started to come down here for business."

"What kind of business?"

"I'm an ice harvester. I collect ice and sell it."

"You're an ice harvester? Isn't that well...dangerous? You're like, what, eleven?" Anna had heard stories about ice harvesters, including the dangers of it. Seeing some close to her age in such a hazardous profession was truly surprising for her.

"Twelve actually. But yes, it can be dangerous."

"And your family is okay with it? They don't get worried or anything?"

"They do. But it's only dangerous if you're not careful. And my family trusts that I'm careful. And Sven of course."

"Wow...Sound like your family is different from mine," Anna stated. "My parents, mostly my papa, are what you might call overprotective. Knowing him, he's most likely realized I'm gone and probably freaking out."

"Well, he'll stop freaking out soon. We're just about here."

Just straight ahead was the clock tower. It was perhaps the tallest building in the town. Or at least that what Anna believed.

"This is it?"

"Yep," Kristoff replied. "Go through that door right there and there should a flight of stairs. Climb them and there should another door that'll lead you right in front of the clock.

"Okay well, thank you for your help, Kristoff." Anna went through the door.

Kristoff was about to walk away when Sven blocked his path and gave him a look.

"What are you doing?"

 **"You're not going to leave her now, are you?"** Sven 'spoke', which in reality was Kristoff speaking for him.

"I think she can figure out."

 **"You could at least make sure she gets there alright. What if something happens to her and she gets even more lost?"**

"You're not going to let me live this down, are you?"

Sven responded with a small nod and a snort.

"Alright. If it'll make you happy, I'll make sure she gets there. But as soon we take her there, we part ways from her."

Anna continued to walk up the stairs. There were about 3 flights of them and she just left the second flight. Living in a big castle, Anna used to climbing many stairs. She soon reached the top of the tower. They were two large bells and ring every hour or so. Anna manage to find the door Kristoff mentioned and opened and her eyes widen.

It was a glorious view. All below and around was the practically the whole town. Anna saw the castle on the left. However it looked to be a far walk, but she at least had an idea where to go. However, she didn't want to leave just yet. Sitting on the edge in front of the clock, she continued to admire the view.

Kristoff had managed to get caught up and saw Anna staring at the view. He can see how entranced she looks.

"Hey," he quietly called out.

Anna quickly turned her head. "Oh, Kristoff! I thought you would've left now."

"I was...but I figure I should at least make sure you get back safely."

"That's nice of you. I'll be down in a bit. I don't want to leave yet."

"I can wait."

Anna turned her attention back to the view in front of her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Kristoff sitting next to her.

"This is...so different than looking from the top of the castle. It's nice to see it for once."

"It is a nice view."

There was a brief silence

"The castle's farther than I thought..." Anna brought up.

Kristoff looked at her. "You really don't go out much, do you?"

"...It's like what I said before. My parents are very protective of me. Especially my papa. This is my first trip into town since I was 4."

"Really?" Kristoff wondered.

"Yeah, and it doesn't end there. Whenever I have some sort of fun, he always gets freaked out that I might hurt myself. Heck, if papa saw me right now, he probably would have a heart attack. It's been like that as long as I can remember!" Anna grunted in irritation as she flopped on her back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blurting out my problems like that, considering we've just met."

"Hey, it's fine. Sounds like you've been meaning to bring it out for a while."

Anna quickly sat back up. "How do you do it? How does your family not have the need to constantly watch your back? If anything, you sound lucky."

"I'm not if I would use that word."

"What do you mean?"

"My family...isn't, well, my real family. When I was younger it was just me & Sven."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Anyway, when I was 8 we both stumbled upon the grounds my family lives. They pretty much took us in the moment they saw us, and they've been family since."

"That sounds pretty lucky to me. Being able to find people who'll take you in willingly. And trust you," Anna added. "How do they feel about you being an ice harvester though?"

"I pretty much assure them that I'm cautious and very careful of my surroundings. It's basically a matter of trust."

"Sounds like something my papa lacks."

"Well, you just got to prove it to him somehow. You should enjoy your life the way you want. It's like what my family once told me. 'Life's not some spectating sport. If watching is all you're going to do, then you're going watch your life go by without you.' "

Anna was amazed by those words of wisdom from the boy. It then gave her an idea. "Y'know Kristoff, you're right. I'm away from my papa for the time being. But for once, I'm going to enjoy myself!...Until he finds me of course. Um, You don't mind sticking around me a little longer, do you?"

"I guess I wouldn't mind spending more time. Besides, it'll help me get around the town better."

Anna smiled. "Thank you!"

"I guess we should get going then."

The two children made their way back down. Sven had been waiting near the door and immediately greeted Kristoff. Anna had gotten a small head start.

"C'mon Kristoff!"

Kristoff gesture Sven to start moving and they both followed Anna. From the corner of his eye, he notices Sven giving a sly look towards him.

"What?"

 **"Whatever happened with ditching her as soon as possible?"**

"Okay, so maybe she's growing on me a bit."

Sven couldn't help but give a snort.

"Oh don't be like that."

The pair continued to follow the princess.

* * *

 **Next chapter will show Anna & Kristoff's adventure in town.**

 **Just for future reference, whenever Sven speaks, his dialogue are gonna be in bold. I'm not an expert on Reindeer age, though I assume Sven a few months old when Kristoff was 8 in the movie. Here, he should be a juvenile now. Basically hes big enough. If I got something wrong, then I apologize.**

 **I assume that area near the castle (the one with that huge overhead) is the town square. Correct me if I'm wrong please.**

 **So Anna goes into the town but gets separated from her parents (to be fair her parents brought upon themselves when Idun said those words). But don't worry, she has new friends to help her.**

 **Kristoff is gonna be in this story. I'm a KrisAnna shipper, but their romance isn't going to be the main focus of the story. I'll just show their friendship, with maybe hints. Hope you guys won't mind.**

 **In case you were wondering, Kristoff's line about life not being a sport was somewhat the same one from Disney's version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Love that movie).**

 **And I could not resist mention Agdar & Idun's sleeping habits. Anna had to get them from somewhere:P**


	5. Anna's Perfect Day

**Anna's Perfect Day**

The two children and reindeer made their way through the town. They had arrived at a huge marketplace of sorts. There were stands all around, with different people selling many things. Some of which Anna had never seen before.

"I've never seen so many people gathered in one area." Anna was clearly in awestruck.

Kristoff had a hard time trying to keep up with the princess. She practically runs to every stand she sees. Though from what Kristoff can somewhat understand her excitement. Plus, he found her enthusiasm rather charming.

They both had continued walking when Anna had noticed a floral stand. She immediately went over to it to get a closer look. They were a variety of flowers in pots.

"These flowers are lovely." Anna gave a quick sniff. "And smell really nice!"

"Why thank you, young lady," said the vendor. "These are the finest flowers in all of Norway!"

"What's that one?" Anna pointed to a small blue-purplish flower.

"That my dear is a Blåveis."

"It's pretty."

"They are indeed are. Here." The vendor a got strand of the flower and gave it to Anna.

"Oh, you don't have to, sir."

"No need for that. Only one strand is free. It's nice to meet someone who appreciates flowers."

"In that case, thank you." Anna was about to walk away before stopping herself. "By the way, do you know which way is the town square?

"Just go down this street and then you turn on the second left."

"Okay, thank you, sir."

Anna left the floral stand and found her way back to Kristoff.

"So how did that go?" he asked.

"It was nice. The man gave me this flower." Anna showed the plant to the boy.

"That was nice of him."

"Yeah. I better put it somewhere safe. But where? If I put it in my pocket it'll get torn."

Kristoff got a sudden idea. "Hand me that flower for a second." Anna hesitated for a moment before giving the flower to him. Kristoff carefully placed it on top of Anna's right ear. "There. Now your flower is in a secure place."

Anna was at a lost for words. "...Thank you, Kristoff." The boy couldn't see it, but the young girl gave a light blush. "Oh! The vendor told me that town is just down the street and a go on the second left we see."

"That sounds helpful." Before they could move, a small growl was heard from Anna's stomach. "Haven't eaten recently, huh princess?"

"Not since breakfast…"

"Maybe with luck, we'll find a cafe or something."

* * *

While walking in the direction Anna was given, they did manage found a small cafe. Anna had enough pocket money, or at least a princess's definition of pocket money, for both of them. Thankfully this was a simple cafe and nothing fancy. The two went inside, while Sven had to wait given that animals weren't allowed and that he was too big. Though the reindeer didn't seem to be bothered.

The two friends were sitting at a table eating their food, both of them ordered sandwiches. While doing so, Anna decided to get to know Kristoff more.

"...Wait, so you're telling that's what your family are?" Anna recalled with a hint of amusement.

"Yep," Kristoff answered. "Weird, I know. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe me."

"Of course I do. I just never expected it."

"Well regardless, they still took me and Sven in and I'm grateful for that. Though they can be inappropriate. And loud...very loud."

"They sound so different from my parents. Mine are so regal and serious most of the time. Though when they do have their moments, it's quite funny. Just earlier this morning, my papa was drooling so much he made a puddle, and my mama had one crazy bedhead!"

Kristoff chuckled at that. "That does sound funny. Though despite our families flaws, we still love them."

"Even if they're big stinkers sometimes."

Kristoff & Anna both chuckled as they continue eating their lunch.

* * *

After they had their lunch, the children & reindeer restarted their journey to the town square. Anna was still looking around at the sites around her. Of course, she wanted to get back with her parents as soon as possible, but she didn't want to rush herself.

As she looked around something caught her attention. Nearby looked a like a huge painting on a wall of sorts. Wanting to get a closer look, Anna stepped forward, with Kristoff not far.

The artwork was about 8-10 feet tall. It contained a painting of a small girl that looked to be about 3 or 5 years old with a single braid and wearing a light blue dress. She had hands clasped together in front of her body and her head was slightly tilted. Her most noticeable features were her almost white blonde hair and her pure blue eyes.

"Kristoff, what's this?" Anna asked.

"Huh?" Kristoff turned to see that Anna was talking about the mural. "Oh, that. It looks like a mural."

"What's that?"

"It's basically a huge painting on a big wall."

"Who's the girl in the mural, though?"

"Beats me. Probably just some random girl."

Something in Anna told her otherwise. The princess continues to stare at the mural girl. She looked into the girl's face, especially her eyes. While Anna never met someone like her, there was something...familiar about the girl.

"Hey Anna, shouldn't we get going?"

"Oh right!" Anna said after she was taken out of the trance.

The trio started to walk away again. However, Anna could help to give one last look to the mural before walking out of view.

* * *

"I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Agdar, please. We need to stay calm. Getting upset will not make this better." Idun stroked her husband's arm in order to put him at ease.

Little over an hour ago, they have discovered that Anna had disappeared on them. Whether she purposely ditched them or accidentally wander off is unknown. Right now their top priority is to find her. So far, there hasn't been any sign. Agdar had become frantic while Idun did everything he could to keep him calm.

"We just to clear our heads and figure out a plan."

"But where could she have gone too? She could be anywhere."

"I don't know, but someone must've to have seen her. We just need to ask around."

Agdar took a deep breath. "You're right."

And so they both stuck with their plan. They would ask people if they had seen the princess. The town guards were also alert of this and promised to keep an eye out for her. The two rulers manage to make their way into the marketplace. They would go by each stand to ask their question. So far, most of them didn't have any idea. Soon the couple reached a floral stand.

"Excuse me, sir?" Idun called to the vendor.

The vendor turned around to face the King & Queen.

"Oh, your majesty's!" The man gave a quick bow. "This is quite unexpected. To what I earned the pleasure?"

"We want to ask you a quick question. Have you see a young girl, about 9, with freckles, and had two braids."

"Hmm...As a matter of fact, I believe I did."

"You did!" Agdar perked up.

"Yeah. She came up here to look at my flowers. She like the Blåveis I have here. I gave her one strand to her for free."

"How long ago? Did you know where she was going?"

"She did ask for directions to the town square. So I believe that where she intends on going. She left, I say, about a half hour ago. There was a boy with as well."

"A boy?" Idun muttered.

That added detail had caught both royals off guard. Agdar & Idun just looked at each other with the same confused expressions. But they returned their attention to the vendor.

"What did he look like?" Agdar asked.

"He had blonde hair and looked around twelve I think. Had a reindeer with him. The two kids seem to get along well."

"Did this boy had a name?"

"I think I heard her call him something...Christopher? No, wait! Kristoff, I believe. Are there any more questions I can answer?

"No. That would be all sir. Thank you." Agdar almost walked away before taking a small bag that had money. "A token of our thanks."

Both royals left after giving the money to the vendor. They started to go down the path they hoped Anna went down. While they were still concerned for her, something else was on their mind.

"At least Anna knows where to go, and that she isn't alone," Idun brought up.

"I'm fine with the former. It's the latter I'm concerned with," Agdar stated.

"Agdar, don't overthink this. Maybe this Kristoff is just helping her. But please, don't scare him off if he's still with her. He's just a child."

"I know." Though the protective side of Agdar nagged him otherwise and he mentally composed questions he may ask the boy.

Idun, meanwhile, kept thinking about the boy. Was this boy just helping her out? Or did Anna manage to make a new friend?

Of course, their questions will only be answered once they find their daughter and her new companion.

* * *

"This chocolate tastes amazing!" Anna took another bite of a chocolate piece. During the walk, Anna caught the scent again. This time, it lead her to a traveling chocolate stand. With the remainder of her pocket money, Anna purchased three huge boxes of chocolate.

"You must really love them if you bought three boxes" Kristoff commented.

Anna looked at him with a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Actually Kristoff, those other boxes aren't for me."

"Oh? The who are they for?"

"The second box is for my parents. Kinda like an 'apology gift' for running off, y'know?"

"And the third one?"

"I got it...for a friend."

"I thought you said you didn't have any friends."

"Well, I do now."

Anna looked at him the moment she said that. Kristoff took a moment to comprehend who she was referring too.

"Me?" Kristoff muttered, which Anna nodded in response. "You consider me a friend?"

"Why wouldn't I? You were willing to help me, even before I told you I was a princess. You listen out my issues, even though you could've just ignored me. And you help me have the greatest day I've ever had in my life."

"Wow, I...I've never had a friend before."

Sven gave an annoyed grunt and nudge his companion.

"Ok, a human friend I mean."

Anna giggled his reaction.

"You really want me as a friend?"

The princess nodded as she held out the box of chocolate. She waited for his response to the gift. After several minutes, Kristoff put his hands on the gift.

Kristoff nodded. "Friends."

Anna gave a bright smile.

The two friends talked as they keep on walking. Kristoff even offered to share his chocolate with Anna. She accepts his offer, but only took a few since she finished her box and didn't want to eat up Kristoff's. They kept on walking and talking until a clearing came up.

"Hey, Anna. I think that's the square up ahead."

Anna looked straight ahead. She can see the overhead that was about the center, and the docks where the ships are. And of course, she could see the castle, her home.

"We found it!"

"So, now that we're here what are you going to do now?"

"Oh, um." Anna stuttered. "I guess I'll just wait around here until my parents or at least a guard finds me."

"I guess that means you don't need me anymore.

Kristoff was about to walk away until Anna shouted, "Wait!" Causing him to stop.

"Since we're friends, you should meet my parents," Anna suggested.

"You think they don't mind me hanging around you?"

"Of course they wouldn't. They're not those type of royals. I mean, my mama might warm up to you but papa might ask you questions, cause you know he's protective of me. Of course, you know that since I told you that. But anyway, I think my papa will like you too."

"Well...I guess I can stick around a little longer." Sven nudges Kristoff a little closer to Anna. A little to close. This caused the boy to give an annoyed stare at his reindeer. But that was done when he saw Anna smiling, and he gave an uneasy smile.

"Well, um."

"This is...awkward," Anna mentioned.

There was nothing but silence between the children.

"So, what do you want to do while we wait?" Kristoff asked.

"Hmm..." Anna thought about what to do. There were some shops around, but she's tired of shops. Most of her pocket money was gone already, so couldn't buy anything else. She then heard some music. Turning to the direction, she saw a group playing instruments.

"Let's check those guys out!" Anna pointed to the musicians.

"Go ahead. I'll join up in a bit."

The princess made a dash to the musicians. Anna thought to be lovely music. She unknowingly started to tap her foot to the rhythm as the music. Kristoff had been making sure Sven will wait while he was with Anna. When Kristoff did make his way, he saw Anna dancing around. The musicians seem to play along as she danced.

Once she saw Kristoff, she gestured for him to join. Kristoff gave a decline wave. But Anna went over and dragged him along. Although annoyed, he decided to play along.

Their dancing started to attract the attention of other townsfolk, mostly children. A small crowd started to gather. This seemed to made Anna even more excited. She gestured for the children watching to join in. Some were reluctant at first, but they soon started joining this dance. Soon, more children started to join in, whilst the adults watch with amused looks as the children danced.

* * *

At that moment, the king & queen themselves had made their way to the square. They had spent most of the day looking for their daughter, but she hasn't turned up. Right now, they hoped that she did make it to the square.

"Do you see her?" Agdar asked.

"No," Idun replied.

Agdar's anxiety started rising up as he desperately kept looking around. Aside from a crowd of children dancing nearby, there was no sign of Anna, but the king will not give up. As he kept looking, he noticed a creature with antlers nearby a bench.

"Is that a reindeer? Why do I get the feeling that…"

Something then clicked in Agdar. It had something to do with the reindeer.

"Idun. Do you see that animal?" Agda pointed to the creature.

"Yes. It's called a reindeer."

"I know what it is. But don't you remember earlier what the flower vendor said?"

"That Anna was with a boy?"

"Yes, but he also mentioned a reindeer was with them. There's not many reindeer in town"

Idun's face widens in realization. "Oh, of a course! So if a reindeer is here…

"Then Anna has to be here somewhere!" Agdar concluded.

They both started looking around again. While they did, they got a close look at the reindeer. He seemed to be a few years old. The reindeer seem to give a friendly look towards them. The sound of a children cheering was heard and it came from the direction of the dancing children. This time, the royal couple looked closer at the children. One struck out to them the most. A strawberry-blonde haired girl with two braids specifically that was dancing next to a blonde haired boy.

* * *

Anna continued to dance. All she heard around her was the happy cheers of the children and the chants of the adults watching. Anna danced and danced, with Kristoff alongside her. Though the boy was reluctant, he admits that he was somewhat having fun. As he danced, he kept his eyes on Anna. She was a pretty good dancer

Then the final notes of the current song the musicians came up. Anna twirled around in the rhythm of the notes. The final note had arrived and Anna made an elegant pose as it occurred. The children and adults applauded.

"Oh, thank you," Anna slightly blushed. She never used to this kind of attention. "Just someone having fun, that's all."

After a few minutes of applause, the crowd started to disperse. Anna was still catching her breath from all the dancing. Next to her was Kristoff, who was quite impressed.

"Wasn't that fun Kristoff?"

"Y'know I have to admit, that was the most fun I had in a while. Never took you for a dancer."

"Being a princess, I was taught 1 or 2 things about dancing."

"More like a lot. That was great."

"Really? Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Anna was quiet as she thought the next thing to say to her friend.

"Um, Kristoff, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When my parents find me, I'll probably won't be out here for a while. So I was wondering do you think you'll come by the castle sometime? If you still want to be my friend that is."

"You sure your folks won't mind?"

"I'm not sure about that. They're always skeptical when it comes to unknown visitors. But if they say yes, would you?"

Kristoff was silent as he thought his answer. This somewhat made Anna nervous the longer the silence went. But he soon gave his answer.

"Of course."

Anna gave a happy smile. Before she could say anything else a male voice calling her name brought her attention.

"Anna?!"

The two friends turned their direction of the voice, only to see the King & Queen themselves.

"Mama! Papa!" Anna ran straight towards her parent's arms.

"Oh, Anna! We so worried about you," Idun said.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Agdar asked.

"I'm fine. I was waiting for you to be down with those rich people when I smelt chocolate. I wanted to get some, but I ended up lost. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run off from you guys."

"It's fine sweetheart. We're just glad that you're alright. We should've watched you better."

"But it wasn't all that bad. I made a friend. He helped get here and we both explored the town. I want you to meet him."

Anna turned away from her parents and went over to Kristoff and dragged him to her parents.

"Mama. Papa. Meet Kristoff."

The young ice harvester could only give a nervous smile and an awkward wave.

"Uh, hello…" was what the boy manage to say.

"Young man, "Agdar asked in a gentle calm but yet firm voice. "Did you help my daughter get here?"

"Yes," Kristoff answered. He decided to be as honest as possible as his family had always taught him.

"What exactly happened?" Agdar asked mostly towards Anna.

Both children explain how they met and their day together. Both rulers listened to every detail of it. While Idun seems to warm up to Kristoff already, Agdar slowly grew less skeptical of him as his daughter's and her companion's story went on.

"And now we're friends!" Anna also added.

"Yeah, heh..." Kristoff added.

Both rulers didn't say anything for the few seconds that had passed. That is until Idun spoke up.

"Thank you, Kristoff, for helping our daughter find her way. I just hope it wasn't a problem for you."

"It wasn't, your majesty. I actually enjoyed her company."

"Mama, papa there's something I would like to ask."

"Oh?"

"Would you be alright if Kristoff visited the castle?"

"Oh well," Idun stuttered. "I don't see any problem. Though that would depend on your father.

Anna looked at her father with a hopeful look in eyes. Agdar had thought about his answer. He never liked random strangers visiting the castle without permission for safety reasons. Agdar would've most liked said 'no' in a heartbeat given that he hardly knew the boy. But after hearing the time that his daughter had spent with Kristoff and new knowledge of their friendship made him think differently. Seeing his daughter express her happiness by spending time with her newfound friend made him realized something.

That he was holding Anna back for all these years. Perhaps his wife's statement last night was right. Maybe it was time that Agdar indeed 'cut loose'.

"What do you think of him, Anna?" Agdar asked.

"He's very nice. If he didn't want to stick around, he would've left me alone earlier," Anna answered.

"If you trust him, I suppose he could be allowed to visit."

"Really?" Anna asked again, to which Agdar nodded.

Anna hugged her father while practically thanking him over and over again. After that got settled, Anna talked with Kristoff to discuss when he could visit. Agdar watch as this occurred.

"It seems you were right," Agdar said to his wife

Idun looked over to him. "About what?"

"About Anna making a friend."

This day might've not been perfect for Agdar, but it was perfect for Anna. That was more than enough for him.

* * *

 **(EDIT: 11/25/17. I have renamed the chapter title.)**

 **I apologize if the ending seemed rush. I didn't know how else to end the chapter. But anyways...**

 **Holy cow! Over 1,000 views, 14 followers, 12 reviews, and 8 favorites?! I just only had 4 chapters beforehand. Thank you guys so much!**

 **I was going to put Anna & Kristoff's adventure in town in the last chapter. But it would've been too long. So yeah.**

 **Blåveis is a type of Norwegian flower, btw (Research!).**

 **See ya next chapter!**


	6. Beyond the Hill

**Beyond the Hill**

 _February_ _17th 1836..._

Anna was riding her horse, Kjekk, through the town. Tugging her magenta cape as she felt the sudden cold breeze. It was February and that's when winter was in its late stages before spring arrives sometime next month, but even then it's still pretty cold. Citizens that she had passed gave slight bows to her. Anna knew that they were being polite, but she sometimes wishes they didn't always do that since she became a frequent visitor to the town.

But the cold or the citizens weren't on the 14-year old's mind at the moment. Anna was deep in thought. Her reasoning for being out at the moment was so she could clear her mind.

"Hey, Anna!" a male voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

Anna turned to see her friend, Kristoff waving to her, with Sven by his side. Over the past few years, Kristoff's build had grown bigger and was incredibly strong for a recently turned 18-year-old. Sven has also had become a fully grown reindeer and his antlers were bigger compared to the first time Anna met him.

"Hey Kristoff," Anna got off Kjekk and guided him towards the ice harvester his reindeer. She put her horse next to Sven before walking to her friend. "How are you?"

"Oh you know the usual," he answered. "What are you doing?"

"Avoiding papa."

"Oh no, what happened this time?" Kristoff asked in a joking, but mostly serious tone.

"How do I put it? I wake up. The sun is shining, birds were chirping on the rooftops. I went down to eat breakfast..."

* * *

 _Earlier that morning…_

 _Anna had been summoned to her father's study as soon as she had finished her breakfast. She had noticed both of her parent's absence during breakfast, which she find it odd considering they always ate with her all three meals of the day. Then again, they were acting odd the previous day. They both had somewhat somber expressions as if they were remembering something that was once happy, but now were nothing but bittersweet. But Anna was used to seeing them act like that on that day this time in the year._

 _She approached the door that leads to the study. Anna was slightly nervous. The only times she had summoned whenever something serious was going on or she was some trouble. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door._

 _"Come in." A voice said._

 _Anna opened the door and walked in. She saw her father sitting at his desk with her mother beside him. They had a look on their faces that indicate that they want to discuss something important._

 _"You wanted to see me?" Anna asked._

 _"Yes sweetheart," Agdar answered. "Please sit down."_

 _Anna sat down on a chair across her father's desk._

 _"Is there something wrong? Is this about what happened last week with the pig and the pie?"_

 _"No, it isn't," Idun replied. "Your father has something important to tell you."_

 _Anna faced her father. "What is it?"_

 _"Anna," her father started. "In a few months, you'll be turning 15. An age where you enter the stage of becoming an adult. Which is important of being royalty."_

 _"Uh, Okay…" Anna responded. "Where are you going with this? Because I'm feeling nervous right now."_

 _"We believe it's time for you to learn about being Queen."_

 _Anna wasn't quite expecting this. She thought it was going to be one of 'those talks' she had received when had turned 12, and that other time when she asked how babies were made. But this kind of thing was different. Much too different._

 _"Q-Queen? Me?" Anna stuttered._

 _"Yes," Agdar answered. "As the...sole heir to the throne, it is an important task. We believe you're ready to learn. Is there an issue?"_

 _"I um...I mean, I'm flattered, and maybe feel a bit honored, but also really surprised. I wasn't expecting this. Why now?"_

 _"We want you to be prepared in case something happens to me and your mother."_

 _"But you guys are in good health. Unless..." Anna made a slight gasp. "You're not dying are you?"_

 _"Wha-? No! No ones dying sweetheart." Idun lifts her arms in an assured matter. "We just want you to be prepared if something does happen."_

 _"Are you saying that you don't want to be queen?" Agdar asked._

 _"Of course not!" Anna defended herself. "I just...I need time to think about this."_

 _The last thing Anna remembered doing is leaving the room before putting on her winter clothes and headed into town on her horse._

* * *

"Your parents want to start training you as queen?" Anna nodded in response to Kristoff's question. "That's gotta be quite an honor."

"Yeah…" Anna said quietly, slowly looking away from her friend.

"It sounds like a huge responsibility. I mean, you'll be busy learning how to be a queen."

"I guess."

Kristoff took notice of Anna's rather somber tone. "You don't sound happy. I'm pretty sure some people in your spot would be thrilled with news like that."

"Well, I'm not like other people." Anna crossed her arms

"What's the matter?" Kristoff asked. However, Anna didn't give a response. "Come on Anna. You can tell me. What's eating you?"

Anna took a deep sigh as she uncrossed her arms. "It's not that I don't want to be queen. I know it's a duty I most likely have to do one day. It's just that, I don't feel like I'm cut out for the part."

"You're saying that you'll be a bad queen?"

"Sort of, but its a different kind feeling. Like it doesn't belong to me. Like it belongs to to...someone else." Anna trailed off as she looked up into the hills that surround the town. She noticed Kristoff's somewhat baffled expression from the corner of her eye. "I know it doesn't make any sense."

"Don't worry. I'm kinda used to that from you."

Anna gave a small chuckle. "You are right about that. Anyway, I just need to clear my head for a few hours. You know where I'll be if you need me."

"Alright. I'll see you around."

"Thanks. You too." Anna got back on Kjekk and slowly rode off. She gave another wave to Kristoff as she did.

The ice harvester waved in response before she completely rode out of his view. He turning his attention back to Sven.

 **"Should we go with her?"** Sven asked.

"Nah. I think it's best we give her some space."

Kristoff and Sven started walking away. As they did, they felt a small but strong cold wind gust.

"Sheesh, kinda windy today."

* * *

Anna had ridden on the top of the hills on the outskirts of town. She can oversee the fjord and the town from her viewpoint. On the other side of the hill lies the deep forest. Agdar had forbidden Anna from going into those woods, claiming that they are very dangerous. What he didn't know that Anna had made several trips into those woods anyways.

Taking her attention from the town, she went into the woods down the hill. When Anna started riding on her horse out of town when she was 13, she decided to go beyond the hill out of sheer curiosity. She didn't go too deep, but nothing bad happened at that time. That had continued the other times so she figured it was safe and continue going into the woods for the past year, with Kristoff being the only one to know this. She made him promise not to tell anyone about her trips. For all she knew, this could've been one of her father's exaggerations. While Agdar's overprotectiveness wasn't as bad when Anna was a kid, parts of it were still in him, and it still annoyed Anna greatly. She never did find out why her father was like this.

But her father's habit was the least of her concerns. Anna spent the next several hours just...thinking and asking herself questions. Is she ready to learn the big burden of ruling a country? Would she be cut out for the part?

"Ugh! Why is this so difficult for me to accept?" Anna stated to herself rather loudly.

Her horse, Kjekk, gave frightened neigh in response. Realizing what she just did, Anna tried to calm her horse by patting and stroking his neck.

"Sorry about that, boy. I just have a lot on my mind."

Before she apologizes to her horse any further, Anna took notice of her surroundings. While she was used to going beyond the hill, she had never gone very far. It was then Anna realized that she had traveled farther than usual.

"Wow. I guess I must've been so deep in thought I wasn't watching where I was going. Better head back before anyone notices we've been gone too long." Anna guided her horse to turn and started walking. Kjekk only manages to get a few feet when he suddenly stopped. "What's the matter, boy? Something spook you?"

Her answer came in the form of the sound of a tree branch snapping near their location. Anna looked around, but nothing was seen. Then, she saw some bushes rustling nearby. Something in her told her to run, but Anna had a great curiosity. In the end, she let the latter take over her and went over to the bushes. When she went a bit closer, something jumped out. It looked to be a small dog, though it was different from the dogs Anna usually had seen.

"Oh, its just a puppy," Anna reassured herself. "Hey, little guy. What are you doing out here all alone? Aren't your parents worried about you?"

A series of sudden growls spooked Anna and Kjekk. Nearby, several wolves emerge from the shadows. They were growling and snarling, showing all of their teeth. Anna gestured her horse to move back and her horse complied but walked very slow.

"Oh well. I guess that answers my question." Anna spoke rather calmly even though she was clearly afraid. "How 'bout you guys just let me go and I'll be on my way?"

Instead of getting the answer she hoped for, a wolf attempted to pounce on her. This prompted Anna to command her horse to start running for it. The next several moments were nothing filled with the adrenaline and an increasing desire to ride away from the wolf pack. She had no idea where she was going since her focus was escaping with both her and her horse's life. No matter how fast Kjekk went, the wolves trailing behind seem to get closer.

A wolf had once again attempted to pounce on the duo. This time, the wild animal snatched on Anna's magenta cape with its mouth. Anna manages to stay on Kjekk, but the wolf refused to release from the cape. After several failed attempts to get the wolf to let go, Anna just took off her cape and the wolf holding onto it went flying back, crashing into several other wolves. Despite that, a good amount of wolves were still chasing her.

Just then, another wolf had jumped in front of Kjekk, causing the horse to suddenly stop and lift on his rear legs in fright. Unfortunately, Anna wasn't able to hold on this time. Not only did she fell off, she tumbled and rolled down a snowy steep hill at a high speed. Eventually, she made a sudden stop at the bottom, along with hitting her head against a hard surface. Anna heard Kjekk's neighs and the wolves barking fade away until there was no noise at all.

Anna spends perhaps several minutes lying face down on the snow-covered ground in a daze. Believing the wolves to be long gone, she flipped over to her backside and sat up. She rubbed now bare hand on her aching head. During the chase, she had lost her snow bonnet, and one of her mittens when she fell down the hill. Something wet had been felt and Anna put her hand in front of her face. On her fingertips were small drops of blood.

"Oh dear…" Anna muttered. "I hope it's not bad."

The princess attempted to walk up the hill, but it was too steep for it to walk alone. She then decided to climb on it but the snow made it even more difficult, and barely got a few feet before sliding down. After several more attempts, Anna gave up.

"Alright. I'll just...find another way out of here." Anna started to walk through the woods. As she felt a gust of wind, she wrapped her arms around herself. "...Wherever I am. I hope Kjekk's alright."

The winds grew stronger as the clouds clumped together and darkened as Anna trudged through the snow. Little did Anna know, she was going in the opposite direction far from her home.

Very far.

* * *

Agdar and Idun were in the study waiting for Anna to return. She had been gone for most of the day. Much longer than Agdar's liking.

"Anna hasn't been gone this long before. Do you think we were too soon? Did we put too much on her? Maybe we should've waited a few more months," Agdar had spoken rather quickly. "Perhaps we-"

"Agdar, you're rambling again," Idun spoke calmly to her husband. "Take a few breaths."

The king followed his wife's advice and took several breaths.

"Better dear?"

"For the moment. Do you think we made the right call?"

"Anna is just probably taking her time to comprehend the news. I'm sure you were the same when your time came."

Agdar took a deep sigh. "You're right. Perhaps I was just overreacting...Again."

Before another word had spoken, the sound of a horse's neigh coming from outside had taken their attention. Glancing out the window that oversaw the bridge leading to the castle, a fairly big but familiar white horse was running at a high speed. The two rulers didn't see the horses rider, but that was most likely due to the fact the horse was running very fast.

"Looks like Anna's back. Maybe she's ready to talk," Idun said.

The king nodded to his wife and they both left the study. They made their way to the courtyard intending to greet their daughter. As they were getting closer to the doors, however, a loud commotion coming from outside caused them to stop. They can hear the shouts of guards and horses frightened neighs. The rulers look at each other briefly before running to the courtyard.

It was utter chaos on the courtyard with the same white horse being the center of it all. Guards were trying to do everything to calm the creature down to no avail. Servants watched afar, not wanting to get hurt by the frightened horse. After several minutes, Agdar manages to build up the courage to go over to the horse.

"Woah! Woah boy!" Agdar put his arms in front him to get the horse to calm down, while also grabbing its bridle. "Easy boy! Easy. Easy…"

The horse thankfully managed to calm down. Agdar gently patted the horse's snout as he assured those around him that it was safe. Idun slowly approached him. After closer inspection, they had concluded that it was Anna's horse, Kjekk. But there wasn't any sign of Anna around.

"Where's Anna?" Agdar asked a nearby guard.

"I don't know, your majesty," The guard replied. "This horse just came out of nowhere."

"If Anna's not here, then whe-" Idun said before more clopping caught their attention.

Everyone turned and saw Kristoff riding on his reindeer towards the courtyard. Much to Agdar & Idun's disappointment, which only made them even more worried, Anna wasn't with him.

"Oh good. You calmed him down." Kristoff got off and went to the rulers. Some guards blocked him.

"Let him pass. He's a friend," Agdar commanded, to which the guards followed. "Sorry about that Kristoff, they're new. Do know what's going on? Have you seen Anna?"

"Me and Sven were just minding our business when I saw Kjekk running through town like a maniac, and even almost ran into some people. We followed him to get him to stop before anyone got hurt, but it seems you beat me to it. As for Anna, I haven't seen her since earlier this morning. I was hoping she wasn't far behind, but I didn't see her."

"Agdar..." Idun spoke softly yet shakily. "I think you should see this."

Agdar saw his wife pointing to Kjekk's rear end. He, with Kristoff not far behind, went to where she was pointing. They didn't anticipate what they saw next. On the horse's thigh, several scratch marks were seen. They didn't look too severe, but some scratches did trail blood.

Agdar's heart started to race rapidly as he recognized the marks. "Wolf claw marks…"

"How though?" Idun asked. "Wolves don't come near here."

At those words, Kristoff's expression changed. It went from looking concerned to one that had realization and guilt. He rubbed his neck as he turned his attention away from the rulers. Idun took notice of his change of behavior.

"Kristoff?" Idun spoke to him. "Are you alright?"

"I um…" Kristoff stuttered.

"Kristoff, is there something you want to tell us?" Agdar spoke calmly, with his tone of authority heard as well.

Kristoff knew it was wrong to lie, especially to the king and queen. He knew he made a promise to his friend. But if Anna was in trouble he had to say something. So he made the decision, to tell the truth.

 _"I'm sorry to do this, Anna. If you're in any danger, I have to tell them."_

"I think Anna went beyond the hill," The ice harvester confessed.

"She WHAT?!" Agdar exclaimed loudly, which Kristoff, some guards, and even Sven jerked back in response. "And you knew about this?!"

"I'm sorry. But, Anna's been doing it for over a year with without any inci-"

"You mean she's been doing something I strictly told her not to FOR OVER A YEAR?!"

Kristoff winced as he heard Agdar's words. Though he is understandably upset, Kristoff decided to plead his case.

"Yes. I know it was wrong to keep it to myself, but Anna practically begged me not to tell you. I tried to talk her out of it several times, given my own experiences out there, but she was stubborn and insisted that nothing bad happened. After a while, I noticed that she came back unharmed every time. So I figured maybe she was right and I promised not to tell you guys. Believe me, if there was any trouble I would've told you."

Agdar pinched the bridge of his nose and he calmed himself down and comprehended Kristoff's words. After the king fullied calmed down, he realized Kristoff was just keeping a promise for a friend. Something you should never break, unless otherwise.

"We need to find her," Agdar said. "Captain! Gather a search party and look through the woods. I'll join you as soon as everyone's ready."

"Yes, your majesty!"

"Idun, alert the citizens and see if can get some volunteers."

"Of course dear," Idun said.

"Let me join the search. My sleigh could be useful, and I have experience in the wilderness," Kristoff said.

"Very well. Got get ready. We leave within the hour." As mad as he was, Agdar knew the ice harvester wasn't at fault. Plus, Kristoff would've come whether the king allowed it or not.

Kristoff went off with Sven to prepare to join the search. Idun had already left to play her part. And Kjekk had been taken back to the stables to be tended. That left the king, with the exception of some guards scattering around, alone in the courtyard. Agdar noticed the darkening clouds in the sky and felt the winds increasing speed. One thing was certain.

Anna needed to be found soon.

* * *

Anna had no idea how long she had kept on walking but she knew it was defiantly several hours. The clouds had gone darker and winds were blowing even faster. The ever persisting winds made it difficult for her to walk through and harder to deal with the cold. Not to mention made it harder to see through. While she was wearing her winter dress, Anna couldn't stand a chance against the cold, especially without her bonnet, the other mitten, and cape.

The lost princess had made another step when she suddenly tripped. It brought a good amount of pain to her right foot. She ended up landing face first on the snow-covered ground. The winds continue to howl around her as she remained on the ground. A voice in her told her to get up and keep going. But another told to give up and that it was hopeless.

Anna had felt many things go through her as she still lied on the ground.

Cold.

Pain.

Exhaustion.

Hunger.

Regret.

And most notably:

Fear.

Anna was never afraid of death, but the concept did frighten her. Not because of what's on their other side as most are. She was scared of what she'll leave behind. Arendelle will be left without an heir. Kristoff and Sven will be left without a friend. The most she was afraid of: Leaving her parents the pain of burying their daughter, instead of the other way around. The worst part: She didn't even get to say goodbye to them.

No matter how much she fought, Anna's will to survive decreased as the icy cold winds increased their speeds. And then, that will just...left her. Many thoughts went through her head.

 _"Goodbye Kristoff. Thank you for your years of friendship. Goodbye Kai and Gerda. Thank you for taking care of me when mama and papa couldn't. Goodbye, mama. Thank you for giving me your love. Goodbye Papa...I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."_

"I'm sorry…"

Anna succumbed to her exhaustion and let fate play out the rest. A lone tear came from her eye as this occurred. She was completely out cold.

Through the icy winds, however, a figure covered in a dark blue cloak emerge from the shadows and walked to the near-frozen girl. A huge white bulky object slowly emerges behind as the figure kneeled down next to her and gently rolled the girl on her backside. The cloaked figure placed a tender hand, that is covered with several faded scars, on the girl's face.

* * *

 **Well...that was quite an ending for this chapter.**

 **Will Anna survive? And the most important question: Who is the figure? What intentions does (s)he have for our dear princess?**

 **Here's a fun fact, the novel _A Frozen Heart_ stated that Anna's horse was name Kjekk (The same horse that ditched her in the movie). Just thought I point that out.**

 **I headcannoned that Kristoff was born in January.**

 **Anna mention of a pig pie is a reference to a deleted scene from Frozen.**


	7. The Savior

**The Savoir**

Agdar had spent upon hours and hours searching desperately for his daughter nonstop and felt a sense of deja vu. However, the winds had been reaching high speeds which made things much more difficult. Nonetheless, he wasn't intending to stop his search. He wasn't going to stop until his daughter was found. Agdar knew the possibility of surviving a snowstorm like this were very slim, but he can't give up. He just couldn't. He can't lose a daughter.

Not again.

However, it would seem that Mother Nature herself had other plans. The winds had started to become a full out blizzard. It took heavy persuasion from other guards to convince to hold off the search until the storm died down.

How cruel fate must be to have his second daughter vanish on him just right after the day? The day that signifies the 15th anniversary of when Elsa was stolen from him. Fate indeed can be a cruel mistress sometimes.

With great reluctance, Agdar and his party made their back to Arendelle. He hoped that the other search parties had better progress. Agdar guided his horse to the castle courtyard and hand it to the stable master. He went inside the castle where he asked for progress from the other search parties.

All of which had no leads.

The king learned that Kristoff's search party hasn't returned yet, but he had faith in the ice harvester. Perhaps he had made more progress. After getting out of the snow gear, Agdar made his way to his study. There he saw Idun sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Agdar!" Idun looked up. "Have you-?"

"No," he answered. "I have no choice but to hold off the search until this storm stops. When it'll stop I have no idea." Agdar sat next to his wife on the couch. He placed both hands on his forehead as he felt the heat from the fireplace. "This can't be happening again." He paused for a moment. "This is my fault. If I hadn't put the pressure of her learning to be queen, she would've had ru-."

"Agdar don't!" Idun exclaimed. "Don't you dare put the blame on yourself. None of us anticipated Anna getting lost or going beyond the hill. Don't fill yourself with guilt. Not again. Please..."

Agdar looked at the fear in his wife's eyes. He has seen them 15 years prior. It was shortly before Anna was born when Agdar had reached his breaking point from the pressure of Elsa's absence.

Before Agdar can return to that dreaded memory, fast knocking was heard on the door. Kai opened the doors.

"What is it, Kai?" Agdar asked.

"Kristoff's party has returned," was what the servant replied.

"Send him up here, immediately."

Kai nodded and closed the doors. The next several minutes waiting for Kristoff were agonizing for the rulers. Finally, what felt like hours, Kristoff, still in his snow-covered winter clothes, walked in.

"Sorry about the snow," Kristoff apologized.

"Don't worry about that," Agdar assured. "Have you found Anna? Or any sign of her at least?"

Kristoff gave a somber look. "I found this."

He opened a bag he had carried and pulled something out. It was a cape of some sort. A magenta cape that everyone was all too familiar to them.

"Is that Anna's? The one you got her for Christmas?" Idun asked.

The ice harvester nodded. "I found it in deep woods, along with these." Kristoff then pulled out a mitten and bonnet with the same color as the cape. "There were trails of horse and wolves footprints nearby."

Agdar gently grabbed the cape and examined it. There were several tears on it. Whether they were torn from a tree branch, wolf claws or bites didn't matter to him. All kinds of emotions ran through the king as he continues to stare at the cape.

"What do we do now?" he heard his wife ask.

Agdar looked at the raging blizzard that was just outside. Every moment that passed, Anna's chances of survival was dwindling down. If the wolves didn't kill her, the blizzard would most likely finish the job. The king felt he was on the brink of a mental breakdown. The same kind he had felt when Elsa was stolen. It seemed too obvious that Anna was most likely coming back in a casket.

But something in him told otherwise. He faced back at the other occupants

"We wait for the storm to cease. As soon as it does, we resume searching," Agdar said.

"Agdar…" Idun looked at him sadly. While she wanted to hope for her daughter to still be alive, she had to take in the circumstances. Even when she didn't want to. "Do you think she could be..."

"Unless I see it for myself, Anna is still alive."

Idun didn't even try to argue with her husband as he left the room. That doesn't hide the fact she was afraid. She had seen him act like this before. Agdar was determined to find Elsa and bring her home. When all the leads came up cold after months, he had no choice but to call off the search. After that, he was slowing falling into a deep abyss. Anna was what had helped him climb out of it. If Anna was dead, Agdar could once again fall into that abyss, and never climb out of it.

The queen looked out the window as she sends a silent prayer.

 _"Lord, if you can hear me, please watch over Anna and bring her home safely. Please, don't take her from us too."_

* * *

When Anna woke up, she expected to be surrounded by clouds, hear angels singing, and be right outside of the gates of eternal paradise. But instead, she woke up feeling herself on a hard surface, covered with a cozy blanket and felt some warmth on her side.

 _"Is this heaven? If it is, it's not as grand as I thought it was."_

A small ache was felt on her head. Anna rubbed the area where she felt something that was wrapped around it.

 _"But if this is heaven, why does my headache? You can't feel actual pain in heaven. Unless…"_

Realizing now that she was very much alive, Anna bolted up. Looking around she can see she was in some sort of small cave. Nearby was a small fireplace with a pot hanging over it. Several feet in front of Anna were ice walls that had a huge hole on the side, which Anna believed as the only way in and out of this cave.

 _"Where exactly am I? How long was I out? How am I not dead?!"_

Footsteps were then suddenly heard. They echoed through a hole on the ice wall. Anna tried to get on her feet, but felt small pain on her right foot and slightly stumbled. She barely stood up again when she saw the source of the footsteps.

Standing in front of the ice cave was a woman that looked to be a few years older than Anna. She wore a worn out simple blue dress while wearing a dark blue cloak. Her hair looked to be very bright blonde and was styled in a bun. She also had blue eyes that had a concern look in them. In her hands were two empty bowls that were stacked.

"I think I wouldn't move around if I were you," the woman advised.

The woman walked over and set the bowls down near the fireplace before approaching Anna. The young princess slightly moved back in fear. Her parents had always warned her about the risks of being with strangers. The woman seemed to notice her distress.

"I-I'm not gonna hurt you," the woman assured.

"What makes me think you wouldn't?" Anna retorted.

"If I wanted you dead, I would've left you out there in that blizzard."

Anna's expressed soften at that revelation along with mentally slapping herself. This woman had saved her from freezing to death.

 _"Smooth move, Anna. That's how you say thanks to someone who saved your life?"_

"Sorry, I-I didn't-" Anna stuttered.

"It's fine," the woman assured. "Here, let me help you back."

The woman helps Anna up and guided her back to the 'bed' she was on. After doing so, the woman went back to the fireplace and opened a pot lid and poured some liquid like material into the bowls and gave one of them to Anna.

"I figure you need to warm up and get something in your stomach."

"Thank you," Anna took a sip. "This soup isn't bad."

"Thanks. It just some herbs & mushrooms I put together. How's your head?"

"It still feels bad, but I think it's better," Anna replied. "My right foot feels sore though. Probably from that trip before I passed out

"Hopefully you didn't sprain it. You're also lucky that you manage to get a simple cut on your head."

"Can you tell me where exactly am I?"

"In my home. Or at least, an extension of it."

"There's more?"

"Just beyond the ice wall, but you can't see it!" The woman said the last part rather quickly.

"Why not?"

"You-you just can't. Not now."

Anna decided to not push further the subject, especially towards some who saved her life. Anna and the woman had continued to eat.

"I appreciate your hospitality, but I think I should be getting home. My family must be worried about me."

"I'm sure you want to get home as soon as possible. But I can't let you."

"Why not?"

"Because one: that blizzard out there could last a few days at the least. And two: your right ankle could be possibly sprained. I'm not exactly strong enough to carry you back to wherever you came from. And I rather not be seen by other people."

That last statement threw Anna off a bit. She seemed to figure out that her savior lived alone, but the fact that she doesn't want to be seen by other people peaked her interest. But she decided not to press on the topic.

"It's late and I need to get some sleep. And you should too." The woman gathered the empty bowls and spoons and led Anna back down. "I'll come back here tomorrow to check on you." The woman made her way to the tunnel in the ice wall.

"Wait!" Anna shouted, causing the woman to stop and face her "If I'm going to be here for a bit, we should at least share our names. I'm Anna. What's your name?"

For a moment the woman didn't say anything. She looked as if she was hesitant to answer. But before she left, she did manage to reveal her name.

"My name is Elsa."

* * *

 **This story has reached 23 followers, 14 favorites, and 16 reviews. Thank you guys^_^**


	8. Icy Discovery

**Icy Discovery**

 _February 18th, 1836_

Anna opened her eyes and yawned as she slowly sat up. She was still in the ice cave, alone. Near her was a small bowl that had some berries. Elsa had most likely left them there as breakfast. The fireplace also looks as if it been recently re-lit and had new wood. Anna got up from her stone bed and sat near the fireplace and ate the berries which, she might add, were actually delicious.

For what felt like hours Anna sat near the fireplace and ate her food until there were no more berries. Once the berries were gone, she just sat near the fire. Anna was thinking about her family and friends back home. They were most likely worried about her.

 _"No doubt that I'm gonna get grounded when I get back home,"_ she thought. _"Though I guess it's better than being dead."_

On the bright side, she did notice that her head didn't hurt as much, neither was her right sore foot. Thinking it was a good way to pass the time, Anna decided to see how her foot was. She started walking around the cave. Her foot was still sore, but she was able to walk without too much trouble so it was safe to assume that she didn't sprain her ankle.

When Anna wasn't thinking about her home or her injuries, her mind was towards the woman her saved her life know as Elsa. She had her own questions centered around the snow white-haired woman. Questions such as on how and why was someone, who looked to be a teenager at least, was living on her own? And why she was afraid of people?

Anna did notice Elsa keeping her distance from her during their encounter last night. Along with other things she had noticed were several scars on her hands and one her left cheek. It was clear that something had happened to Elsa in the past, but Anna didn't feel the need to pry into that for the moment.

From the corner of her eye, Anna saw the ice wall again. Whatever was beyond it is most likely the rest of Elsa's home. Anna wondered what lied beyond it, and more importantly, why Elsa didn't want her to see it. Was she hiding something?

Just then, a small thump was heard. Turning her head, Anna thought she saw a small white object moving around the entrance, followed by hearing some footsteps. Anna rubbed her eyes to clear her vision, only to see the white object gone. She even went to the ice hole to get a better look, but nothing was there.

Remembering Elsa's words, Anna hesitated to move. She didn't want to disrespect the wishes of someone who had saved her life. But something in Anna told her to go through the hole. Eventually, Anna's curiosity got the best of her. Taking a step, Anna entered the ice tunnel.

Elsa had been kind enough to give her a spare bonnet, and gloves, which were helpful. Though despite walking in a tunnel encase of ice, Anna didn't feel really cold. The tunnel had several turns and was wide enough for a person to walk through. After several minutes of walking, Anna found herself on the other side in a place that looked like an icy...small hallway?

Anna expected more ice, but not in this form. She noticed a light on the other end and walked in that direction. As she walked, she looked around the hallway. The designs had reminded her one the halls of the castle. Anna was soon at the end of the hallway, where to her right she saw something that resembled a fountain. Once she walked to it, she was in for another surprise.

The other side of the ice fountain was a room that seemed to be a grand foyer. Anna was in awestruck as she observed the room. Right across the fountain where grand doors, which may be the only way in and out of this ice structure. Walking towards the center of the room, Anna had noticed two staircases that were on both sides of the ice fountain. On top of those small staircases was an archway that leads to two more staircases that were both on each side, indicating there was more to be seen. As Anna still looked up, she saw a big snowflake design on the ceiling.

"This place...it's beautiful," Anna muttered

 _"But how was this built? Where exactly am I?"_

"Yeah. It really is beautiful, isn't it?" came a voice unfamiliar to Anna. The voice sounded to be a cheerful male. It kept on rambling as Anna tried to look for the source of the voice. It sounded as if it gotten closer and Anna couldn't see anyone.

"But it's so blue. I know blue is Elsa's color, but I wish there was more variety. Y'know some crimson, and maybe chartreuse. But not yellow, yuck! Because like snow, ice and yellow don't go together well."

The voice briefly stopped for a moment, but the footsteps kept on going until they stopped near Anna. Instinctively, Anna looked down and was in for another surprise. Below, next to her was a living snowman!

"Am I right?" said the snowman who smiled.

What Anna did next was give a small scream as she kicked the snowman's head, knocking it off its body. The snowman's head landed on the other side, while its body was aimlessly walking around. Anna stood there stunned at what she was looking at.

"How is this even possible?"

"Okay, looks like we got off to a bad start," said the snowman's head.

Getting over her shock, Anna went over to the talking snowman's head. She got its head and tried to place it on the snowman's moving body. After chasing around a bit, she manages to place its head back.

With its head back on the body, Anna got a better look at the snowman. Its body had 3 stacks of snow. The one at the bottom, the middle which seems to symbolized its chest, and of course the head. He had two stubby legs in the form of snowballs and sticks for arms. There were actually small pieces of sticks coming out from his head that seem to represent hair. The final touch Anna noticed was three black rocks that went vertically down his chest.

"That feels so much better!" The snowman exclaimed. "Now I'm perfect.

"Yeah," Anna answered awkwardly as she kneeled down to the snowman's level. She noticed an empty spot on the snowman's face. If she had carrots on her, she would give one to him as a nose. "Sorry for kicking you like that. You kinda spooked me."

"Oh, it's fine. But now that's done, let's start over." The snowman proceeded to clear his throat and gave a happy smile. "Hi, my names Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

"Olaf…"

There was something familiar about that name. It soon clicked to her it was the name her father had suggested that day almost a decade ago when they had their snow day. She had used that name for every snowman since throughout her childhood years. Anna found it quite a coincidence to meet a talking snowman with that name. Even more when he said that he liked warm hugs.

"Your name's Olaf?" Anna asked.

"I...believe so. Why do ask?"

"Oh, no reason. I just think its a nice name."

"Thank you!" Olaf said. "And your name…"

"Oh! Right! I'm Anna."

"Nice to meet you, Anna!" Olaf then looked at her head weirdly. "What's that wrapped around your head?"

"What? Oh, you mean this?" Anna pointed to her bandage. "I hit my head badly yesterday."

"Ooh. Does it still hurt?"

"Still a bit sore, but it's getting better. I got a thick skull."

"I don't have a skull. Or bones," Olaf blurted out.

Anna could only awkwardly stare at the snowman after his statement. Wanting to cease it, Anna restarted the conversation.

"Uh, right. Anyway, I'm not sure if you know but Elsa found me last night and took me into the cave where she helped me."

"Oh! So you're that person Marshmallow was carrying last night!"

Anna looked at Olaf confusedly. "Marshmallow?"

"He's like me, but bigger. He's my little brother. Though he the biggest little brother I have."

 _"So there's more of them..."_ Anna thought.

"Anyway, I saw you in Marshmallow's arms when he and Elsa came back. Elsa told me not to go into the cave when she brought you there. I don't know why. But since you're not in the cave, I can talk to you, right?"

"I guess. Where is Elsa and...Marshmallow by the way?"

"I think Elsa is in here somewhere. Marshmallow is out patrolling the mountain for the moment. But it's not just us, I have more little brothers. Maybe I'll introduce some of them to you."

"I would love too. So where are the-" Anna was interrupted when she felt something touched her back. Just then, three little snowmen that were several inches tall appeared from behind Anna and went to Olaf's side.

"Oh here's some of them now!" Olaf exclaimed. "This is Slush, Sludge, and Slide. Slush, Sludge, Slide this is Anna."

The three little snowman faced Anna. The young woman just stared at them. She only gave a small wave and say a small "Hello."

The small snow creatures gave a cheerful smile and then started jumping on Anna. She was taken by surprise and felt a bit overwhelmed and Olaf gave a smile. Soon, the creatures manage to settle down on Anna's lap. Due to their size, Anna had guessed that these were what she saw at the entrance of the cave.

"Aw, they like you!" Olaf exclaimed.

"I think I kinda figured that out," Anna said as the tiny snow creatures jumped off her lap and ran somewhere else. "Are there more of them?"

"Oh yeah! I have their names, but Elsa just calls them Snowgies."

"So its just you, Marshmallow, The Snowgies, and Elsa?"

"Yep! Just us!" Olaf answered. "And there's you now. Are you going to live here?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm only here until the blizzard dies down. I have to get back home as soon after. My family must be really worried about me..."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. We never get visitors up here. Actually, you're the first person I've talked too since I was created. Besides Elsa of course."

"When were you created?"

"I think 10 years ago."

Anna's eyes widen in surprise. "You guys have been up here for 10 years? With no one else?"

"Mhmm."

This revelation had sparked even more questions Anna wanted to be answered. If Elsa was seemingly around Anna's age, then that would mean Elsa's been here since she was a child. What exactly happened to her? Did she have a family that was worried about her? Or was her family the reason why she is here?

Anna, of course, had her own question for the talking snowman.

"Olaf, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah."

"Who exactly created you?"

"Oh I was created by El-"Olaf didn't say who as he was cut off by another voice.

"What are you doing out here?"

Both Anna & Olaf turned in the direction of the voice. Staring down at them from the top of the foyer stairs was Elsa herself. She had a look of fear on her face.

"Hello, Elsa!" Olaf waved at the woman. Though Elsa's attention was not on the snowman. Rather it was on Anna.

"I thought I said you can't come out here," Elsa stated.

Anna herself felt getting nervous. "I'm really sorry. I saw something and wanted to see what it was. But I never expected this place."

"We were just talking and getting to know each other," Olaf said.

"And I'm afraid that's over. Anna, please go back into the cave."

"Wha-Why?" Anna asked in confusion.

"I-I just can't have you out here right now. Please, just do what I say." Elsa's voice sounded desperate and fearful. Anna watched the woman wrapped her arms around her chest and looked down.

Normally, Anna would try to stand her ground, but that was with her father. This woman was genuinely afraid. Who or what she was afraid of was unknown to Anna.

"Okay, I'll go back." Anna didn't look up as she walked back to the direction she came out. Just before she left the woman's view, Anna stopped and looked up. "Please understand that I'm sorry for going against your wishes and I didn't mean any harm. And I also want to say I don't know how this place was made, but it's really beautiful."

Elsa's eyes only gave a quick glance before they went back starting away. Anna sighed and went back to her cave. This left Elsa alone, with the exception of Olaf. After several moments, Elsa quickly went to the grand staircase on the right of her home.

* * *

Elsa was sitting on her bed with her hands on her face. Thoughts went through her head.

 _"She saw this place. She saw Olaf and The Snowgies. If she found out how they were made…"_

She didn't even finish that thought as she just sat in silence.

On the other side of the bedroom which lied the entrance of the room were Olaf, a couple of Snowgies, and a snow creature that appears to be the size of a house. They all stood in silence, wonder what they could do. Eventually, the big snow creature went over to Elsa.

The creature gently lifted his snowy hand and place its icy finger on Elsa's head, gently stroking it. Elsa jerked up at the creature's gesture, though she nuzzled her head into his hand.

"Marshmallow, do you think I made the right choice to bring her here?" Elsa asked.

Marshmallow did not speak many words. In fact, he can speak a few at a time. Fortunately, while he may lack words, Elsa can still understand him.

 _"It was risky to bring her here, I admit. But I never doubt your judgment."_ Marshmallow spoke.

"What if she's afraid of me? What if she escapes and gets people here to hurt me? Or worse, I could end be back with...him."

Marshmallow did not have an answer. It didn't help put Elsa at ease.

"Maybe...she's different?" Olaf's voice spoke up.

Elsa turned to see the small snowman already near her bedside.

"What do you mean?"

"When I was talking to Anna, she didn't seem to be afraid of me," Olaf started. "Okay I scared her at first, but she apologized and warmed up. She seemed so genuinely nice. The Snowgies seemed to really like her. I'm sure she wouldn't be afraid of you if you told her."

"I don't know…" she muttered.

"Wouldn't hurt if you talk to her."

Elsa looked at Olaf for a moment. While he may be goofy sometimes, he can wise when he needs to be. Maybe he was right. Perhaps Elsa should tell Anna the truth and maybe Anna would be understanding.

Elsa hoped so for both of their sakes, as she looked at her hand as snowflakes swirled around it for a moment before she clasps her palm.

* * *

 **We finally have the appearance of Olaf (for real), Marshmallow, and a few Snowgies (Okay they were kinda a last minute addition:P). I sure hope I did Olaf's character right.**

 **So now that Elsa is in this story, she'll get her own sections throughout the story. Though Anna will still get the main spotlight.**

 **I feel I should explain Marshmallow. As far as I know, Marshmallow doesn't really speak. He can only speak a few words at a time. So when he really 'speaks' is more like Elsa (and Olaf) interpreting what's he saying. To others, it'll just be grunts and/or roars. I hope that make sense.**

 **And I'm sorry for ending off the chapter like this. I feel Anna & Elsa talking to each other should be in a separate chapter. Who knows, perhaps we'll see a bit of Elsa's story.**

 **Also, Thank you to those for following, favoring, reviewing, and reading this story.**


	9. Snowy Revelations

**Snowy Revelations**

Anna sat on her stone bed. There was no doubt that Elsa would come back at some point. She just hopes that the woman wouldn't throw her out. But Anna was distracted with other things on her mind. The revelations she had learned from her exploration in the ice foyer.

Where exactly was she? How was that snowman Olaf alive? Who & how build that structure on the other side made of ice? And who exactly was Elsa?

They were interrupted as Anna heard footsteps. She looked up and saw Elsa standing at the cave entrance. Though this time, she had different attire.

"Elsa?" Anna was in awestruck. She sat up to get a better look at the woman.

Elsa's was no longer wearing that dirty blue dress, but rather a lighter blue dress that was slimmer. The top of her dress exposed her shoulder area, which was odd to Anna considering where they at. Elsa's sleeves had the same shade of blue and her chest area seem to be had some sequins. One final thing that was new to Anna was a small oval blue brooch, that reminded her of the one her mother has, that laid at Elsa's dress chest top.

"You look different. It's a good different though," Anna complemented.

Elsa could help but give a small smile. "Th-Thank you."

Silence resumed between the two girls. It was quite awkward.

"Listen," Anna started. "I'm sorry for leaving this cave. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay. You don't have to apologize." Elsa assured. "I'm here for another reason actually. "

Anna felt relieved that Elsa wasn't angry, but she grew a bit confused. "What is it?"

"There's...something I should tell you."

"Alright, what do you want to tell me?" Anna asked.

"Not exactly tell, more like show. But what you are going to see maybe a little surprising. Can you promise not to freak out?"

"I guess…"

Elsa took a deep breath after she sat down next to Anna. "Watch my hands."

Anna gave a quick weird glance towards Elsa before she complied.

Elsa started to slowly twirl her hands around. As she did, Anna saw blue sparkles that seemed to resemble snowflakes and small white round object grow. The white object quickly grew to be the size of a toy ball. Interest and wonder sparked in Anna's eyes.

"Ready?" Elsa asked, holding the white ball in place.

Anna nodded, albeit slowly.

Elsa quickly threw her hands upwards, releasing the ball. The white ball then burst, creature many shimmering tiny objects that gently floated down. Anna's interest had even spiked even more. Instinctively, Anna lifted her hands and let the blue objects land in her hand. She then brought her hand close to her to examine them. It seems the blue objects were snowflakes.

"Is this...snow?" Anna eyes still looking at the snowflake.

"Yes," Elsa answered.

"You can create it?"

"...And ice as well."

"That's...That's…" Anna trailed off.

As the silence dragged on, Elsa braced herself for Anna's response.

"That's amazing!" Anna exclaimed.

"You're-you're not afraid?" Elsa asked, surprised by her answer.

"Afraid? It's wonderful! How long you could do that?"

"As long as I can remember."

"What else can you do?"

"Well...I can also do this."

Elsa laid out her right hand and twirled her left over it. A small flurry swirled around her right and out came a small ice figurine that seemed to resemble Anna. The figurine arms were behind her back, with her left hand clutching her right wrist, and looked to be walking.

"Is that me?" Anna asked.

"Mhmm." Was what Elsa replied. "I can make one that's bigger if I can."

"Oh, no need for that. This one is fine."

Elsa placed the ice figurine on Anna's hands. Anna gazed at Elsa's handiwork for several moments. It was most certainly a wonderful and beautiful piece. But as Anna looked at the ice figure, a sudden realization hit her.

"That ice house. Olaf. The Snowgies...You created them too?"

"My ice house is actually more of a palace, but yes, I did create all of them. Even this dress I'm wearing."

"Wow...That is so cool. I've never heard anything like that. Wait a minute, this figure won't come to life, will it?"

Elsa gave a light chuckle. "That only happens to my snowman creatures. I never really figured out why only them though. As for my ice figures, they don't come to life."

"Elsa," Anna started as she set down the figurine. "While I was talking to Olaf, he mentioned that he was created 10 years ago."

"That is true…"

"Is that how long you've spent up here?" Elsa nodded her head. "How old are you?"

"18, I believe."

"So...If you had been living here for 10 years that would mean…you've been here since you were 8?!" Anna stated, with a sense of shock in her voice. "What about your parents?"

"I..." Elsa started. "I never had parents."

Hearing that statement broke Anna's heart. Elsa had no parents, meaning she had spent most of her life alone. Anna on some level could relate to that, having spent her first 9 years of life without any friends. But even then, her parents had been there for her for her entire life. She couldn't imagine what she would do if they leave her life for good one day...

"How did you end up out here?" Anna asked.

"Let's just say the life I had beforehand wasn't any better..."

"What do you mean?"

Elsa looked at Anna for a brief moment before doing something unexpected. She pulled up her sleeves, which revealed some chilling details. Both of her arms had several scars.

"Are those...?" Anna trailed off

"Scars? Yes. Most of them were from the years before." Elsa pulled down her sleeves. "And those aren't the only ones, unfortunately."

"What happen to you?"

"When I was young, I was in the company of a group of men. We had lived far, far from here in a small stronghold I think. They treated me...horribly until I escaped."

Elsa stopped as she covered her mouth with her hand. She tightly closed her eyes as if she was repressing the urge to cry, but a small tear escaped from her.

Seeing Elsa in distress, Anna decided to end the subject. "You don't have to tell me everything."

Anna tried to place a comforting hand on Elsa's arm. But as she did, Elsa pulled her arm away quickly.

"Don't touch me!" she shouted as she flinched back.

"Sorry, I…" Anna said as she gave an apologetic look. "You looked upset, I was just thought you wanted some comfort."

Elsa's expression started to relax as she realized Anna had no ill intent.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that," Elsa apologized. "I don't like being touched. Touched by people that is. It brings back some bad memories."

"Oh, it's fine. I should've known better not to do that. If you don't want to be touched, then I respect your wishes."

"Th-thank you," Elsa said, though sounding a bit surprised. "Why did you do that? You said it was for comfort?"

"Yes," Anna answered. "You do it to someone who's upset in any way to assure them that everything is fine."

"Really?" Anna nodded in response. "I didn't know that."

The young princess raised her eyebrow at that statement. This Elsa woman kept continuing to surprise her. To find out she had no parents in her life, lived alone for ten years, probably went through some kind hell in her early life. Not to mention her snow powers.

"Anyways, there's another reason I'm here" Elsa chimed in. "The winds outside seemed to be dying down. My guess is that the blizzard should be done by morning, meaning you can go back to your home if you wish."

Those words have gotten Anna's attention. "Really?"

"Yes…" Elsa said.

A sudden relief and happiness swelled up in Anna. Tomorrow, she can go back home. As she thought about going home, something in her that she couldn't yet. The answer: Elsa. The more Anna learned about the woman, her interest in her peaked. A voice in her head told her to wait a little while to go home and to stay with the woman.

"Well, it's late and we should be getting some sleep." Elsa got up and started to walk for the exit.

"Wait!" Anna shouted, prompting Elsa to stop and face her.

 _"Mama, papa. I hope you can handle several more days without me."_

"I was thinking that maybe I could stay for a little while."

"I thought you wanted to get back to your home as quickly as possible? What changed your mind?"

"I'm...not exactly ready to go back yet. So, can I stay here for a few more days?"

Anna didn't see it but Elsa was a bit surprised by the girl's sudden desire to stay here. Was this why she was out in that blizzard in the first place? As much Elsa would like to have Anna stick around, she couldn't let her guard down. Still, maybe it wouldn't hurt to have her stay a bit.

"Sure…"Elsa responded.

"Thanks," Anna replied before giving a yawn.

"I think you should go to sleep."

"Alright." Anna was about to lie down until something came up in her head. "Oh, one more thing!"

"What?"

"I didn't get the chance to say this before, but thank you...for saving my life."

Elsa's expression looked bewildered. Never in her years had she had never received a genuine thank you. At least as far as her memory goes.

"Y-you're welcome," Elsa answered. "Goodnight."

"Night."

* * *

Outside the cave, Olaf, Marshmallow, and several Snowgies were in the ice foyer. They were waiting for Elsa to finish talking with Anna. Olaf had been optimistic that things would go well, while Marshmallow had been cautious.

"I'm sure that Anna will like Elsa," Olaf said.

 _"And what makes you believe that?"_ Marshmallow said. _"How do we know this Anna girl could be plotting to escape and expose us?"_

"I didn't get any bad vibes for her. The Snowgies seemed to like Anna as well. I trust Elsa, don't you?"

Marshmallow didn't seem to say anything afterward.

"Trust me, Marshmallow. Once you meet Anna, I'm sure you'll she's good and maybe she isn't like those bad people that Elsa use to be with."

Olaf & Marshmallow had only been with Elsa after her escape for her...previous home. They were aware of the stories she had told them. Hearing those stories always make Olaf sad, and Marshmallow's protectiveness of Elsa fueled much higher. For the past 10 years, they were basically Elsa's only family, aside from the addition from the Snowgies that came several years later. But for a while, it was just the two snow creatures and Elsa. Olaf had always been the friend that needed her when she needed it, and Marshmallow served as her protector.

After all, she did create both of them for those purposes alone.

Olaf was created shortly after Elsa had escaped from her previous home. The little 8 year old at the time was scared and alone sitting in a cave while a blizzard raged outside. Out of desperation of feeling safe, she created the snowman out of thin air. The following morning, Elsa woke up to find snowman missing. It was then she saw him very much alive, sitting next to her. The first thing he had said was a cheerful "Hi!'.

Needless to say, she was a bit freaked out. Though, she soon warmed up once she realized he was friendly. Another thing that baffled her that he introduced himself as Olaf, even though she didn't even name him. However, the name quickly stuck on. The pair traveled together up until they had settled onto the North Mountain and they had stayed there since.

About a month or so later, Marshmallow was created. Elsa had gone out looking for food. In her previous home, she had been forced to do chores whenever she wasn't involved with...other things. One of those chores included cooking, which had lead her learning several things about food.

Using her powers, Elsa manages to get some birds. Unfortunately, her meat attracted the attention of wolves. She attempted to run from them, but they were fast. It had gotten to the point where she was cornered. Elsa was scared for her life. Instinctively, she flung her hands, covered herself and closed her eyes waiting. The next sounds she heard the wolves whimpering and a large growl. Looking up, she saw Marshmallow, ice spikes coming out from all over his body fighting off the wolves.

Elsa was intimidated by the big snow creature's appearance. But that was soon gone once she saw his ice spikes go away, making him look less scary. She remembers him placing his icy finger on her face and his expression that practically asked if she was fine. Her answer was hugging the big creature. That day, she brought him back to her home. Olaf was excited to meet him and dubbed him Marshmallow. For the next decade, they all had been a family.

Soon, footsteps were heard. The snow beings turned to see Elsa finally walking out of the cave. Marshmallow noticed that Elsa look much more relaxed, which must've been a good sign. Olaf was the first to approach her.

"So? How did it go?" he asked.

"It...it went pretty well actually," Elsa answered.

"How did she handle your magic?"

"She wasn't afraid. She liked them."

"See! I told you she was different."

"And she's wants to stay here for a few days."

"Really? That's great. I can already think of all the fun things we might do."

"I'm sure you do, but you'll have to worry about that later. Right now, we should get some sleep."

Elsa went up the foyer steps, followed by Olaf & Marshmallow. The pair usually sleeps in the same room with Elsa, while some Snowgies do the same or sleep other places in the castle. As Elsa went to her room, her thoughts were stuck on Anna.

 _"I sure hope I made the right choice."_

* * *

 **Well here's chapter 9. I do plan to give the full extent of Elsa's background at some point in the story (Hopefully). But I hope I gave enough to give guys some idea what happened (Believe me, she was forced to do much worse than chores...)**

 **So Anna is planning on staying with Elsa for a little while. So expect some more interactions between them in the next chapters.**

 **Also, 31 FOLLOWERS & 20 FAVORITES! Thanks guys!:D**


	10. Nightmares & Bad Memories

**Nightmares & Bad Memories**

 _Meanwhile..._

The blizzard rages all throughout the town of Arendelle. The streets lay deserted as many had taken shelter from the storm in their homes. The inhabitants in the castle were no different. Though the cold was the last thing on everyone's minds within the castle walls.

Many were all still worried about the current state of Princess Anna. They all hope for the princess's safe return. However, with the circumstances that had occurred, many had doubt that she was still alive at this point. With the raging blizzard occurring, they can't find out her fate until it clears out.

In the meantime, many in the castle had tried to bring their focus onto other things. Idun was in the dining hall eating the food on her plate. Join at the same table with her was Kristoff. Idun and her husband were kind enough to give the young man and his reindeer shelter from the storm, knowing his living habits. It was the least they could do since he wants to find Anna, and is her friend. Not to mention, it would be cruel to leave him out to fend for himself in the blizzard.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't really eat much off of their plates. They both ate rather slowly since their mind was still on Anna.

"Your majesty," Kai entered the room.

"Yes, Kai?" Idun replied.

"Your husband wanted me to inform you that he won't be able to attend dinner. He's rather...busy in his study at the moment."

It was the words Idun didn't want to hear.

"Have someone bring some food to him at least. I don't want him to go hungry."

Kai lightly bowed his head. "Of course, your majesty."

The servant left the dining hall, as Idun went back to her thoughts. Her worry for her husband grew. For she recognized the signs. She had seen this kind of behavior before.

 _"He's shutting everyone out and refusing to eat. Just like before, after Elsa..."_

Even though it's been years, the topic of Elsa's disappearance was still a sensitive subject, especially for those who were close to her. But no one had been affected as Agdar was. Agdar loved his family very much. So much so that Idun firmly believed that he loved them more than his own life. But he and Elsa had a close relationship. Even before Elsa was born, Agdar had already adored her. He spent every moment he could bringing Elsa all his attention and doted her with his love. They had an unbreakable bond. When Elsa had been stolen, it had changed him. It had only gotten worse when had to call off the searches.

* * *

 _15 years ago...(April 1821)_

 _Idun walked through the halls. The sun outside had been blocked out the clouds, leaving a gloomy sky, which perfectly reflected the mood. It had been about almost 2 months since Elsa was taken, but it still felt like yesterday. She had not seen her husband today, which worried her. Just yesterday he made the hard, difficult choice to end the searches since they were going nowhere. No one had seen him since._

 _Finally, she arrived at the door the led to Agdar's study. Before she knocked, she felt the kick inside her pregnant stomach. She placed one hand on it and gently rubbed it, as she used the other to knock on the door._

 _"Agdar?" She called, though she didn't get a response. "Please, I know you're in there. People are worried about how you've been."_

 _No response._

 _"You're distraught, and I am too. I'm right out here for you, just let me in."_

 _Still no response, Idun leaned on the door on her side._

 _"We have to focus on the future. Not just you and me." She rubbed her stomach. "What are we gonna do?"_

 _There was still no response. Idun slid down to the floor. She decided to try one more thing to hopefully get him out._

 _"Do you wanna pick baby names?"_

 _The continuing silence had finally made her slightly break down. She knows saying something like that was dire, but Idun honestly didn't know what else to do._

 _"Please just...come out. For me. For the baby," she lightly sobbed. "For Elsa..."_

 _Little did she know this was only the beginning._

* * *

"Queen Idun?" Kristoff's voice snapped Idun out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yes, I am," she replied. "And Kristoff, I've told you before that you don't have to refer me by my title. You are my daughter's friend after all."

"Of course. Anyways, are you sure you're fine? You look…unsettled after Kai left."

"I'm just worried for Anna."

"And Agdar as well."

"I should've gone with her," Kristoff spoke up.

"We can't dwell what happened then. What we can do is think about what happens next," Idun said with a tone of comfort. "There was no way you would've known what would happen."

"Do you think she's okay?"

For a moment, Idun didn't speak.

"I do hope so. But we can't be certain until the storm clears up."

Kristoff seemed to agree and they both resumed eating. As they did, Idun wandered in her thoughts about Kristoff's words. The past fifteen years had taught her to not let her hopes rise up and always be prepared for any possible outcomes in any type of situation. But she, of course, wanted her daughter to be okay, as any mother would when their child is in a dire situation.

Agdar, on the other hand, would no doubt not stop unless he had concrete proof that Anna was dead. Idun knew very well how stubborn and feisty he can be. It would seem those traits were common on his side of the family, given Anna tended to be the same. Contrary to what some may think, Anna was like her father in some ways. She could only hope that Anna's stubbornness will keep her going through the storm.

For now, all she can do is wait and hope for the best.

* * *

 _Darkness…_

 _It was the only thing Agdar can see. He walked around, hoping to see something. When nothing still didn't turn up, he decided to call out._

 _"Hello?" Only silence had responded. He decided to try again. "Anyone there?"_

 _"Papa?" came a voice of a young girl who sounded afraid. One that Agdar recognized._

 _"Elsa?"_

 _"Papa, where are you?"_

 _"Hold on, I'm coming!"_

 _And so Agdar ran to the direction of Elsa's voice. He kept running and running. Then, he stopped. In front of him was a 3-year-old Elsa. Fear was written all over the young girl's eyes._

 _"Papa?" Elsa looked at her father. "I'm scared..."_

 _"It's okay snowflake. I'm here now," Agdar kneeled to her level._

 _"Don't go away, please."_

 _"I'm not going anywhere." Agdar stroked her cheek. "Everything is okay now."_

 _Agdar then wrapped his arms around Elsa. However, she vanished into thin air._

 _"Elsa?!" Desperation & terror overfilled him as he frantically looked around. "No. No! NO!"_

 _"Tell me. How does it feel?" came a dark feminine voice spoke with venom, that sounded familiar._

 _"Who's there?" Agdar called out._

 _"How does it feel to be responsible for the loss of your child once again?"_

 _"What do you m-?"_

 _"You failed her. Just like you failed Elsa. It's because of you that she's gone." The voice sounded closer, but Agdar couldn't see anyone._

 _"No! What happened to Elsa wasn't my fault!"_

 _"What about Anna?" The voice brought up. Agdar grew silent. "Ah, yes. Poor sweet Anna is lost out there. Probably most likely dead, just a few months before turning 15. True, she should've listened to your warnings. Then again...she only went to the woods because of you."_

 _Footsteps then echoed. Which direction they came from, Agdar had no idea._

 _"You drove her into those woods. You put pressure on her, and now she's gone too. You call yourself a good king, yet you can't even protect your own daughters. Anna was your second chance and you blew it. How many more children must you lose due to your carelessness?!"_

 _The footsteps got closer until they finally stopped. Agdar turned around. What he saw was truly horrifying._

 _It was a teenage girl, but her appearance is what frightened Agdar. Her left side of her body had her dress torn up, and her body was covered with cuts, huge gash marks, and savage wolf bites. Her left braid was messy, and her face had a claw mark on her eye, leaving her pupil colorless. The right side of her body was different. Everything else looks perfectly normal. Except for the fact that her entire right side was made of ice._

 _Agdar couldn't move. He cannot look away from the half-mauled, half-ice girl. He was further horrified once he realizes who the girl was the suppose to be._

 _"Anna?!" Agdar muttered, completely speechless and terrified._

 _"This is your fault," 'Anna' said. In her left hand held a sharp looking object. She started walking towards him._

 _"No."_

 _"You did this to me." 'Anna' kept walking._

 _"No…" Agdar attempted to move, but he couldn't._

 _"You failed me. Just like you failed Elsa." 'Anna' lifted up the sharp object. Agdar can see it was an icicle in her hand._

 _"Anna. Please, no."_

 _"Shut up and admit it!" 'Anna' grabbed him roughly. "Your daughters are gone! Because of YOU!" Was the last thing she had said before she shoved the icicle into his heart._

* * *

"ANNA, NO!"

Agdar bolted up, clutching his chest. He breathed heavily and was covered with cold sweat. For a moment, he sat still in confusion as he looked around. He was sitting at his desk in his study. That, along with some drool he felt on his face (and a small puddle on his desk) was enough to realize that everything he was just a dream and took a breath of relief. He most likely had dozed off while he was looking over the map on his desk. On it where locations that he had planned to look for Anna, while others had been crossed out.

A knock on his door snapped him out of his daze.

"King Agdar?" a female voice called.

"It's open," he said as he quickly wiped the drool off his face.

Entering the room, was Gerda holding a tray that had some food. She had a look of concern.

"Are you alright your majesty?" Gerda asked. "I thought I heard a small shout coming from in here."

"It's nothing, Gerda. I'm alright," Agdar lied. "What brings you here?"

"Your wife was concerned that you would go hungry, so she wanted some food sent up here."

 _"Of course she did. God bless that woman,"_ Agdar thought.

"Give her my thanks, please."

"Will do. Anything else I could do for you while I'm here?"

"No. Thank you, Gerda."

Gerda was unconvinced, though she did not show it. Nonetheless, she respected Agdar's wishes and left. Once again Agdar was alone. He glanced over at the food on his tray. There were a couple of small sandwiches. One of his favorites, next to chocolate. Yet he managed to barely get a nibble.

His thoughts were on his terrifying nightmare. Agdar was, unfortunately, no stranger to nightmares. They were common during the first few months after Elsa's disappearance. He remembers waking up in the middle of the night practically screaming Elsa's name. Over time, they dwindled down and he would get them only once in a while. Most of which were the same.

This nightmare was different. It had started like his usual ones, with him looking for Elsa only for her to disappear once again. It was the other half is what made it completely different. Seeing Anna's half-mauled and half-ice covered form was truly haunting. That image will no doubt will stick on to him for a good while.

Though it was just a dream, it felt all too real. He can still remember the words that had stung him. Almost every one of them. One sentence had stuck onto him the most.

 _You failed me. Just like you failed Elsa._

Elsa…

Even though it had been a decade and a half, it still felt like yesterday when his eldest daughter had been stolen. Agdar would be lying to himself if he said he didn't blame himself. Despite everyone he knew saying Elsa's disappearance wasn't his fault, and even when Agdar himself knew that very much, part of him never really stopped believing it.

Hearing Anna in the dream saying that he had failed her and Elsa just broke his heart. It hurt even more that Agdar had not told Anna about her lost sister. As Anna gotten older, Agdar had kept holding back telling her believing that she wasn't ready to know. Now she may never know.

And it was his fault.

* * *

Gerda had been walking in the halls back to the servants quarters. It was eerily quiet in the castle halls. 15 years prior, the same type of silence had plague these halls. Gerda certainly hoped that it would never come back. As she walked she saw her husband, Kai, who immediately noticed her.

"Hello Gerda," Kai greeted.

"Hello dear," she greeted back. "I just delivered the food to the king."

"How is he doing?"

"Well he insisted that he was fine, but I know how bad of a liar he is."

"How bad was he?"

"He had bags underneath his eyes. I think he dozed off at his desk before I came in, judging by the drool puddle he left on his desk."

"Well, our king does have a terrible drooling habit whenever sleeps."

Gerda couldn't help but chuckle at Kai's remark. Given how the past two days had been, she could honestly use some humor.

"In all seriousness though, I'm quite worried about him. I haven't seen him like this since...y'know." Gerda quickly got back on topic. "I still remembered how his majesty was after the search for Elsa was called off."

Kai didn't need to be clarified about his wife meant.

The longtime servants were very fond long lost princess. They had even seen her as a daughter they never have, especially since they were unable to have children of their own. Come the day Elsa was taken, Kai & Gerda were just about as heartbroken as Agdar & Idun were. While they didn't have children, they could not imagine the pain of losing a child like that. When the search for Elsa was called off, things had gotten from bad to worse.

They remembered Agdar had started behaving differently. First, he had refused to step foot out of his study, except for meals, meetings, and sleeping. He practically shut himself out from the world. When he was out, it was different.

He became somewhat short-tempered and a little impatient. The couple would remember moments where Agdar would slightly lash out to others for small things. It wasn't anything cruel and he would always apologize soon afterward. As the days went on he seemed to become angrier. Seeing a kind man like Agdar going down that path had truly frightened them.

Yet...they couldn't blame him. While Agdar was a man of high status, he was still human. Not just a human, but a father that was angry and hurting.

One day, however, was a day everyone close to the king was perhaps a day that will forever haunt them, even Agdar himself. It had dubbed as 'The Incident'. It was the dark memory that Kai & Gerda would rather not revisit.

Kai wanted to assure her that everything will be fine. That Agdar wouldn't allow himself to go down that path again. Yet, he couldn't. He too was afraid of the aftermath. Especially the aftermath if things don't turn out well. Anna's birth was all it took to fully bring back the man the servants knew. Her death could bring back the person they feared.

* * *

 **So here we get an insight on how Elsa's kidnapping had affected those close to her. I'm no parent but I can very well guess that losing child is a pain that is unimaginable. Its more likely worse when said child is taken, with the parents having no idea what fate their child had met.**

 **I figure a nightmare sequence was inevitable for this story (Just in time for Halloween :P). Who better have it than Agdar himself. Hope I didn't made his dream too scary for you guys. Anyways, I always figure that he and Elsa were very close. The movie implied that Elsa was somewhat of a daddy's girl (Aww!). So Agdar took Elsa's disappearance REALLY hard. (I'm really making the poor guy suffer a lot through this fic, aren't I?).**

 **I would also like to say that I suck at writing songs (nonetheless making parodies of them) but I really wanted to add it. I do hope you like this fics version of the final verse of 'Do wanna Build a Snowman' though (whether Idun was singing or not is up to you). You guys are welcome to suggest better versions for this fic if you want. Maybe other songs as well.**

 **Originally the chapter was suppose to end with Agdar, but I realized Kai & Gerda had barely appeared in this story. So I decided finish the chapter with them.**

 **Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy reading.**


	11. The Protector

**The Protector**

 _February 19th, 1836_

A yawn exited out of Anna's mouth as she stretched her arms. She sat up as she rubbed her eyes. Anna placed her hands on her back to stretch it out. Sleeping a stone bed wasn't very comfortable, but Anna would not complain about towards Elsa, especially since she done already so much for her. Anna was still in her tired state and probably on the verge of falling asleep again.

"Morning Anna!" came a sudden cheerful voice.

Anna jerked back and let out a small shout. But she only managed to calm down once she saw the origin of the voice.

"Oh. It's just you Olaf," Anna said as she took several breaths to calm herself.

"Has anyone told you that you drool?" Olaf asked.

Anna was confused for a moment. That is before realizing the trail of saliva on the corner of her mouth.

"Uh, several people have." She quickly wiped the saliva off. "My mama often said that I get it from my papa.

"Elsa drools when she sleeps too. Only, I don't know if she got it from her papa or mama for the matter," Olaf then held out a bowl. "Here's your breakfast."

"Um, thank you." Anna took the bowl, which was filled with nuts this time. While she preferred the berries, the nuts were okay enough for her. "So um, what brings you here, Olaf?"

"I just to ask if you wanted to play with me and the Snowgies outside after you eat."

"Outside? Would Elsa be okay with that?"

"Maybe. She's not here at the moment so I can't ask her. But I don't think she wouldn't mind."

"She's not here?"

"Don't worry, this is a normal thing for her. She and Marshmallow will back later. In the meantime, it's just you, me, and my brothers. So, do you wanna play outside~?" Olaf sang the last sentence.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," Anna agreed, though was still unsure. Technically however, Elsa didn't say that she couldn't go outside. "Just let me finish my breakfast first."

"Alright! I'll be waiting near the doors when you're ready."

The snowman left the cave, leaving Anna alone. She seemed to notice how happy and outgoing Olaf is. It had reminded Anna herself when she was a small child. After she finished eating, Anna got up to leave the cave. Anna went through the ice tunnel and headed towards the foyer. There, she saw Olaf waiting near the doors.

"There you are!" Olaf exclaimed while he was walking towards her. "I was worried that you had already forgotten."

"Don't worry, I'm ready now."

"Hold on a sec. Let me get everyone else."

Olaf put his stick hand in his mouth and made a whistle. A cluster of squeaky noises were heard. Several snowgies came running down the stairs.

"Anna, meet the rest of the Snowgies! You've already met Slush, Sludge, Slide." Olaf made his way around the rest of them while giving their names. "This is Ansel, Flake, Flurry, Fridge, Powder, Crystal, Squalor, Pat, Sphere, and William."

"Is there more or…"

"This is all of them."

"Okay. Just wondering." Anna can see them small snowmen looking at her with smiles on their faces. "Hi there, little guys. I'm Anna. It's nice to meet you all."

"Okay, now that we all know each other let's head out and play," Olaf declared, which was followed by the happy squeaks coming from the Snowgies. Anna couldn't help but find that rather cute.

Olaf went towards the doors. Anna watch the snowman pull the handle and watch the ice doors slowly open, making a loud swish as they did. Light from the outside emulated the room. The lack of natural light for several days cause Anna to wince her eyes a bit before she re-adapted to sunlight. Once the door was fully opened, Olaf and The Snowgies started to head out, with Anna not far behind.

Once outside, Anna got accustomed to his the area around her. Surrounding their location were ranges of mountains. At the exit of the icy structure was a grand staircase made of ice, with Olaf and the others walking on it. Anna followed the snow beings as she walked on the stairs. Just down below looked to be a huge gorge, which the ground looked to be several hundred feet below. The young princess mentally took note to not fall down there.

When she reached the end, Anna decided to see what the outside of the ice structure looked like. The building itself seemed to resemble a palace. Anna gazed at the beauty of it. As she looked around, Anna soon realized she was at The North Mountain, a landmark familiar to those in Arendelle. But Anna was still busy looking at the ice palace and would've probably continued to stare had Olaf not called for her attention.

"Hey, Anna! What are you waiting for?"

"Oh right! Coming!" Anna ran towards Olaf, who was standing at an edge. "Sorry about that. So what do we first?"

"We slide!" is what the snowman said.

Anna looked confused at that statement. There wasn't anything around that remotely resembled a slide.

"Slide...what?"

"Just watch what we do." Olaf turned his attention towards the Snowgies. "Go ahead, guys."

One by one, each Snowgie jumped off the edge and were sliding down the snowy steep hill that looked to be many many feet below. Each one giving a happy squeak and smile as they did. Anna didn't know how to react to this.

"Go on, slide," Olaf chimed.

"Oh, I'm not so sure though," Anna said in an uneasy tone. "Have you guys done this before?

"Lots of times! And it's fun!" Olaf then slides down the hill on his belly. He shouted back at Anna as he did. "C'mon! Give it a trrrrryyyy!"

Anna was hesitant for a moment. She wasn't sure if she wanted to slide down or not. The hill looked awfully to steep. Olaf did say he and The Snowgies have done this several times so she figured it must've been safe. Then again, she didn't know whether those outcomes were good or bad. If her father was here, there was no doubt would've been against this idea.

 _"But papa isn't here,"_ Anna mentally reminded herself.

Soon, the adventures side of Anna took over. Without a thought, she jumped on her bottom and slid down the snowy hill. She slid down at a fast speed and was shouting incoherently. Yet, she couldn't help but love the adrenaline that fueled her. Before she knew it, Anna stopped at the bottom with several snow-covered trees around the area. She took that moment to gather her bearings. As she did, she saw Olaf and the Snowgies approaching her.

"So, how was it?" Olaf asked.

"That was...actually fun," Anna replied.

"See! I told ya it was."

Anna looked back at the snowy slope. The ice palace was still in her view. The distance wasn't as big as she anticipated. Yet she had a lot of fun sliding down.

"You want to do it again?" She heard Olaf asked.

Anna didn't take long to think of her answer. Before they knew it, that had spent most of the morning sliding.

* * *

Not Far from the North Mountain, Marshmallow was running through the wooded area, before he started climbing on a hill. On his back was a figure that had her head covered in a cloak and a scarf covering her face. The figure was Elsa riding his back.

Throughout the 10 years Elsa had spent living on her own, she had learned several things about herself and her magic abilities. One thing was that her powers had allowed her to have a mental connection to her live creations. It wasn't anything telepathic, but it allows her to form a close bond with her snowy creations. Her bond with them had been helpful in many ways.

One of which was riding on Marshmallow's back. When they separated like normal, each had their own individual mind. When they were together, however, they were one. This had been useful for Elsa. It made traveling through the wilderness easy, be it for foraging or hunting for food. Other reasons were just to get some air.

It was the latter was the reasoning for the pair to be out. While Elsa loved to be at her ice home, she can admit that it can get very boring up there sometimes. Every now and then she would explore the wilderness around and test out her abilities whenever she wasn't looking for food. Sometimes with her creations, other times alone.

Today, it was just her and Marshmallow. Elsa held onto his back as he ran across a huge hill. Marshmallow was happy to oblige to be out and be with his creator. After minutes of climbing up the hill, they had made it to the top. Elsa got off his back and walked over to a cliff's edge. It wasn't a very tall cliff, but Elsa would have to guess to be several hundred feet. Down below she can see a snowy slope surrounded by some snow covered trees. This gave her an idea.

"Hey Marshmallow," she called to the snow creature. "You want to go for it?"

Marshmallow perked up his head. Seeing Elsa near the cliff's edge and his expression had changed. One that expresses annoyance.

 _"You're not serious, are you?"_ Marshmallow said.

"It'll be fine. Besides, it could our last chance to do this outside of the mountains before spring arrives," Elsa said. "Y'know you want to."

 _"Alright."_

"Great!" Elsa then positioned herself several feet away from the edge. "On three, we go. Ready?" Marshmallow nodded his head. "One. Two. Three!"

The girl ran towards the edge and jumped off, with Marshmallow soon following. She let out a scream, not one of fear, but of sheer joy and excitement. The wind pressed against her skin was a great feeling that she enjoyed. Elsa looked back to see Marshmallow still falling behind her. The ground was getting closer, she knew now was the time.

Elsa position her feet to be pointing down. She then pointed her hands towards her feet and an icy blast came out of her hands. Underneath her feet, a flat, round object that resembled a dish had formed. She also shot small bursts of snow to help slow down her falling speed. With that, Elsa safely landed on the ground and was sliding down the snowy slope on the ice dish. Marshmallow also made a safe landing and sliding on his icy feet.

It was moments such as these that Elsa enjoyed within her secluded life away from others. This type of lifestyle gave Elsa the chance to express herself on her own terms. Rather than be feared, or used, by someone else.

As she slides, several trees came into her view. With one quick move, Elsa swiftly dodges the trees. She couldn't say the same about Marshmallow though. Soon, she felt the end of slope as the ground gotten even. Elsa fully stopped without any issue while Marshmallow came tumbling down, but landed alright. Several tree branches were also sticking out of him.

"That was fun, wasn't it big guy?" Elsa came to him and help pull out the tree branches. "Your landing was good, but you really need to work on your dodging."

Marshmallow gave an irritated grunt. He picked a handful, or his definition of it, of snow and poured it all over Elsa. She shouted out "Hey!" while he gave a mischievous chuckle.

"Very funny…" Elsa said irritably as she wiped the snow off. "I'll get back at you for that."

 _"Whatever you say,"_ Marshmallow said.

Elsa twirled her hand and made a small snowball and flicked it towards Marshmallow. She gave a satisfied smirk as Marshmallow's annoyed look came across his face.

"There. Now we're even."

Elsa took off the scarf covering her mouth and pulled down her hood. While technically she didn't need them since the cold have never bothered her, she still liked to keep herself covered just in case. She then pulled out her single braid that was tucked in her cloak, stroking it as she places it over her shoulder.

"But in all seriousness, you still had fun. And look, we're both still in one piece, aren't we? Just like always."

 _"You are right about that."_

"Why are you being so...doubtful, Marshmallow? You're normally not like this."

 _"Truth to be told, it's not you. It's about that girl"_

"Anna?"

 _"Yes... I do not think it was wise to leave her there alone."_

"Olaf and the Snowgies are with her."

 _"And that's supposed to be reassuring?"_

Elsa couldn't help but agree with that statement. Olaf does have a tendency to be...foolish sometimes. Whether it would be intentional or not.

"Okay, you may have a point there. But if Anna wanted to escape, I'm sure she wouldn't offer herself to stay with us."

 _"You seem to put in a lot of trust into someone you hardly know anything about. We don't even know where she came from nor why she was out in that blizzard in the first place."_

"You sound like you don't like her."

 _"It's not like that. I still remember those awful stories you told me and Olaf. I don't want you to go through that again."_

For a moment, Elsa didn't say anything. She had briefly dug back into those terrible memories. Marshmallow was right. Elsa had every right not to trust Anna. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't.

"I appreciate your concern Marshmallow. Believe me, when I say that you're right, I shouldn't trust her. And part of me is still wary and still keeping my distance." The last part was indeed true. It was one of the other reasons why she was away from her home. "But when I talk to her she was always friendly. Even after I showed what I could do, that didn't change. She actually showed interest. When I showed her some of my scars, she actually tried to comfort me."

Marshmallow didn't say anything, but he continued to listen.

"She cared about how I felt. She thanked me for saving her life. And...she actually cared about my well being. I don't think no other person has ever done that to me. For some reason, it felt...natural. I know it sounds crazy, but something tells me that Anna can be trusted."

 _"I still don't like this,"_ Marshmallow stated.

Elsa couldn't help but feel disappointed at Marshmallow's statement. She knew it was in his protective nature to do so. But then, she got an idea.

"Why not I properly introduced the both of you when we get back? Once that's done, then you'll see how she is."

 _"I suppose there's no harm to that. It would be the only way I could properly judge her. However, if I see any sign that she means harm to any of us, I will not hesitate to do what it takes to keep you and the rest of us safe."_

"I...I understand." Elsa knew Marshmallow's protective nature had naturally made him care deeply for his family. He would definitely go to extreme lengths to keep them all safe. She knew that Marshmallow may even kill others if it means protecting her, Olaf, and The Snowgies. He is their protector after all.

 _"I just hope it won't come to that,"_ Elsa thought.

Elsa did not wish to take another person's life. Sure she killed animals before, but she did it to get food. A necessity for her survival. Killing a human being was a different story. She knew killing people was wrong and pointless. A killing machine is something she doesn't want to be. Neither by her will.

Or by force.

* * *

When Elsa and Marshmallow arrived back at North Mountain, they heard chatter near the base of the mountain. Wanting to know what is, they went to investigate. The chatter had led them to were several trees where. To their relief, it was Olaf who was making that noise whilst wandering around.

"Olaf?" Elsa called as she jumped off of Marshmallow's back.

The snowman turned around and smiled once he saw them. "Elsa! Marshmallow. You're back!" Olaf ran over to them and hugged Elsa's legs.

"Hello, Olaf." Elsa patted his head. "What are you doing? Where's everyone else?"

 _"Where's Anna?"_ Marshmallow asked firmly.

"I invited her to play with me and the Snowgies out here. We spend the morning sliding down the slope. Then we rested for a while before we decided to play 'Hide 'n Seek'. Right now it's my turn while everyone else is hiding."

Elsa didn't see it, but she could feel Marshmallow apprehension rising as Olaf explained. Remembering of big snowman's distrust towards Anna, Elsa spoke before anything escalated.

"Have you found anyone so far?" she asked.

"Just a few of the Snowgies," Olaf answered.

"Why not me and Marshmallow help you find the rest?"

"Really? That'll be super helpful! Let's split up, it'll help us cover more ground."

Elsa and Marshmallow watched Olaf go in one direction. They waited until the snowman was out of an earshot.

"Marshmallow," Elsa started firmly. "No matter what happens, don't do anything drastic."

Marshmallow nodded his head. Soon, he and Elsa went separate ways.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna was hiding behind a tree. She had been waiting for Olaf to find her in their game of 'Hide 'n Seek'. So far she hasn't seen any sign of him. It didn't take long until she started to get bored. She had entertained herself in several ways. Be it making tiny snowmen out of snowballs, or drawing in the snow. Other ways she had occupied herself were her thoughts.

 _"I wonder how everyone back home is doing?"_

Anna knew there was no doubt that her father especially is probably looking high and low for her. He may have even gotten the whole kingdom involved as well. She kinda felt bad for staying up here, leaving her parents and the kingdom panicking about her whereabouts. But Anna didn't feel ready to go back home and face her father. The princess knew it was probably a matter of time before her father figured out about her secret trips beyond the hill, be it he figured it out himself or someone else telling him.

Aside from wanting to learn more about Elsa, the idea of starting to learn to be Queen was also the other thing holding her back. In most royal families, the heirs usually started their training at a younger age. For some reason, her parents never did start her training early on, which many considered to be odd. Anna knew it was inevitable for her to start learning. What makes her so reluctant is that she knew she wasn't a typical princess, or at least different from the princesses she had met. Those princesses were quiet, regal, and graceful, while Anna was the complete opposite of those things.

How can she be a good queen if she can't even be a proper princess?

Just then, Anna heard large thumps that sounded nearby. Getting back on her feet, she looked around to look for the source. Slowly, she looked around at the other side of the tree.

"Hello? Olaf is that you?" she called out.

There wasn't any answer, nor anyone there. The large thumps were no longer heard. After several seconds, Anna figure those were just her head playing tricks on her. Just when she went back to her hiding spot, she slammed into a big bulky object was in front of her and fell on her bottom. After a slight groan of pain, she looked up to see that the white bulky object was a big snow creature that was tall as the trees.

Anna seemed to guess that this was the famous 'Marshmallow' that Olaf told her about.

She did not get up from the ground. Instead, she continued to stare at the snow creature. Its big stature was definitely enough to scare the faint of heart. Anna doesn't get scared easily, though she can admit she did felt a bit intimidated.

"Um...hi," Anna greeted nervously.

Marshmallow looked at her with curiosity. Finding the girl was surprisingly easy for him. When it came to finding things, Marshmallow had to look high and low for them. The only things he could find with no issue was Olaf, The Snowgies, and Elsa. Due to her connection with her creations, they could always find her in places without her even telling them. She could've gone to the ends of the earth without telling them and they would still find her. Elsa's aura was almost like a signal that helps them, Marshmallow and Olaf especially, track her. The girl, Anna he remembered, had a similar aura coming off from her.

That was really odd to Marshmallow. He had never had that type of connection with other humans he had seen. Elsa had been the only one who gave off that aura that allowed him to find her. Anna somehow had that same thing. That just made Marshmallow even more curious of the girl.

Anna decided to get on her feet. Marshmallow never took his eyes off of her as she did. She soon returned the gaze. The big snow creature was looking at her like a curious animal or a dog to be specific. That gave Anna an idea. She remembered her father's advice on how to greet dogs before petting them. She had to stick out her hand and let the dog sniff it to see if she was friendly. If she passed, the dog would let her pet it. Obviously, this snow creature wasn't a dog, but she figures it was a worth a shot.

Slowly, she removed the mitten from her right hand and tucked it away. She took several fast breaths as she stood. Then finally, she extended her hand towards Marshmallow. Nothing had happened as the snow creature just stared. Anna decided to close her eyes and turn her head away, hand still in the same position.

Marshmallow was...amused by Anna's gesture. So far, she didn't fail to impress him. He could feel that she was intimidated by him, but she wasn't full-on fear. Now she was doing this strange gesture to him. For a moment, he was confused. Until it clicked to him that maybe this was her way of hoping to gain his trust. Though he was skeptical at first, he's now starting to believe that maybe she could be trusted.

Making his decision, Marshmallow decided to give his answer. He lifted his left hand and look at it and Anna's right-hand back-to-back several times. Finally, he made his move. Mimicking the gesture she made, Marshmallow slowly extended his hand and pressed his palm against Anna's. While he touched it lightly, Anna felt some force move her a bit.

Lifting up her head, she saw Marshmallow's hand pressed against her own. Her hand was so tiny compared to the giant snow creature's. Anna then looked at his face. In the sockets that were his eyes, she can see that in them weren't intimidation but...acceptance. Anna gave a nervous but relieved smile. Marshmallow then slowly gave a smile back, to which she chuckled.

"Y'know...For a big guy, you're a real softie," Anna complemented.

"Th-Thank you," Marshmallow spoke in one of the few words he could speak in English.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, they were being watched from a distance by none other than Elsa herself. She had watched the entire exchange. When she saw this first happening she was apprehensive. She was afraid that something would go wrong, be it Marshmallow's suspicions being correct, or Anna being doing something to scare him. But neither of each scenario had occurred. Instead, it was filled with relief as she watches the two pressed their hands against each other. To Elsa, it symbolized that Marshmallow had accepted Anna as a friend. Even more shocking to her is when Marshmallow spoke in English towards her. That was truly rare. It had only meant one thing. Marshmallow had fully trusted Anna.

"You found her, Marshmallow!" the sound Olaf's voice brought Elsa out of her thoughts. Elsa saw the snowman approach the pair in the opposite direction. Soon, she decided to join them.

"I see you've met Marshmallow already," Elsa brought up.

"Uh yeah," Anna replied. "He's nice."

"He is," Elsa patted Marshmallow's leg. "He may look intimidating, but he is kind."

"Yep. So, where were you two at?" Anna asked. "I mean if you want to tell me that is. If it isn't any of my business, then you don't have to say anything."

"We were just getting some exercise," Elsa answered. "But now that we're back, I could use some rest."

"Yeah, I could say the same. Spending most of the morning and afternoon playing could really wear a girl down, y'know."

"Then I guess we should all head back to the castle then."

 _"You two can do that. I'll just stay out here for a little while,"_ Marshmallow said in his language.

"Uh, did he say something or…" Anna trailed.

"Marshmallow doesn't speak much. He has his own language. Only Olaf and I can understand him," Elsa explained.

"Oh," Was what Anna could reply.

"I like to hang with Marshmallow for a while if you don't mind that Elsa," Olaf added.

"It's fine with me. Just be back in the palace before dark with the rest."

"Yes, ma'am! Come on Marshmallow. Let's find the rest of the Snowgies!"

The snowman then ran off, with the big snowman soon following. This left the two girls alone.

"So, shall we head back?" Anna asked.

"Of course," Elsa replied.

* * *

 **Who knew Elsa was a dare devil? Then again, 10 years living alone and having ice powers probably can give one some ideas how to entertain themselves (:P). I admit I might've gotten some ideas from How to Train Your Dragon...and maybe a little bit of Big Hero 6 as well...**

 **Okay, I know I promised Elsa and Anna bonding, but I wanted to explore more of the snowmen (mostly Marshmallow). Olaf, I still have no clue if I'm doing his character right. Marshmallow is easier for me to write since he didn't get much screen time in the movie, so there's that.**

 **No worries, there shall be Elsa/Anna bonding in the next chapter.**

 **For those of you who are confused or forgot, Marshmallow doesn't speak much and has his own language (which is in _Italics_ ). Though every now and again he can speak a bit of English.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	12. Time Together

**Time Together**

Anna walked behind Elsa as they continued to trudge back to the ice palace. No words had been exchanged between the two girls, which left an awkward silence. The only sounds heard were the crunching snow that was heard which each step they had taken.

"Sooo…" Anna started, wanting to break the silence. "What were you and Marshmallow doing out there, again?"

"We were exercising."

"What kind of exercise?" Elsa eyed Anna questionably. "I mean we are in the middle of nowhere with not a whole lot around and I was just wondering…"

"We were just doing some runs."

"Just runs? That's it?"

"And jumping off cliffs and sliding down on them."

"Oh, ok-wait what?! Did you say cliff jumping?"

"Yes. It wasn't the first time I did it." Elsa answered, to Anna's surprise, very calm and casually.

Anna was afraid to ask her next question. "When was the first time?"

"I was 9, I think. Been doing it since."

"Wait, you were nine years old when you jumped off a cliff?" While Anna herself was a risk taker, she could admit that she had her limits. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not if you have abilities like mine. It's all about the timing."

"Still, What on earth possessed you to do that?"

"Believe me, I've been through a lot worse," Elsa answered that last statement rather firmly.

"Sorry."

 _"Great. Now I'M talking like papa!"_ Anna thought.

"I'm not against it. I just find it surprising. It's not every day you hear nine-year-olds jumping off cliffs and sliding down on them. I mean, when I was that age, I couldn't even stay with my parents without wandering off."

"I see," Elsa answered.

"Still, what got you the idea to jump off a cliff for fun?"

"I'll admit, it was an accident." Elsa gave a chuckle that sounded like she did something embarrassing. Anna's eyes went to a concerned look as she did. "I didn't get hurt but it was rather fun. I wouldn't encourage you to do it though. Unless you want to."

"Don't worry, wasn't planning on it."

The ice palace soon came into their view. It was still beautiful as Anna last saw it. Speaking of the icy structure...

"It is beautiful."

"It is," Elsa replied.

"How did you build this? I imagine it must've taken a lot of effort.

"It was. It didn't always look like this. I was young when I first built it. I did add some new things over the years as my powers grew."

"I think you did a good job."

Elsa gave a small smile. "Thank you."

The two girls walked up the icy stairs up until they were standing in front of the doors that lead inside. They both walk back inside the palace. It was completely quiet. A reminder that the two girls were completely alone.

"I guess I'll leave you be now." Anna started to walk back to the pathway to the cave.

Elsa only walked up a few steps on the foyer stairs before she got a sudden idea. "Wait!" Anna stopped in her tracks look at the ice woman. "I was thinking maybe...I can show you around here."

For a moment, Anna Didn't know how to respond. However, seeing that she nothing else better to do, she decided to take the offer. "Well, I would like to see more of this place."

"Follow me."

Anna walked up the foyer stairs. Once she caught up with Elsa, she started to follow her. Anna can see the two grand staircases on each side of the palace through the ice walls. They walked up the staircase on the right. At the top, another set of grand doors appeared, though they were smaller than the entrance to the palace.

Elsa opened the doors. "Welcome to my room." She said as they walked in.

The room was fairly big. Anna believed it was actually the same size as her room back home. Interestingly enough, Elsa's room layered similarly to Anna's. On the left side of the room seem to have something that resembled a bed. Dangling from the top of it seemed to be blue drapes with snowflake patterns. The right side of the room had a desk and several tables, made of ice of course. The tables had several objects. On the wall right across from Anna lied a window that overlooked the mountains. Several chests were also seen through the room.

"Nice..." Anna turned her attention to the tables. On the table were several candle holders, small boxes, a map, and even a small clock.

"Where did you get all these-" Anna didn't finish her question as she quickly notices Elsa apparently undressing. "Woah!" Anna quickly lifted her arms to shield her eyes. Her face turning slightly red.

"What?!" Elsa quickly shouted as she was spooked. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Anna replied. "You didn't tell me that you were about to change."

"You screamed because I was changing clothes?" Elsa stared at her with a very baffled expression. "I'm sorry…I'm confused."

"I figure you didn't want me to look at you while you change clothes."

"I don't see what the problem is."

Anna didn't know what to say for she was dumbstruck. She then remembered Elsa's living circumstances. Due to her years living without her parents, or decent people for the matter, and only lived with snow creatures, Elsa probably wasn't taught any norms and proper manners. She probably doesn't even know that any exist.

"Well um, Elsa here's the thing..." Anna started, albeit nervously. "Where I come from, it's improper to watch someone undress and dress."

"Improper?"

"It's inappropriate, basically."

"Oh..." Elsa replied softly. She was surprised by this statement. Throughout the years, she had changed in the presence of Olaf, Marshmallow, and the snowgies many times. None of them had ever shown opposition. Therefore, she never once considered it bad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I-."

"Take it easy. It's not your fault. You probably had no idea and you've been doing it without any people around I guess. It's understandable why you did it." Anna assures her, though she can see the guilty look on Elsa. "Don't feel embarrassed. Look at the bright side, now you know better."

"Do you want to step out of here?"

"I don't need to be out of the room. I'll just won't watch you." Anna turns her body around, with her backside facing Elsa. "See? You'll be out of my sight until you're done and we can still talk. Okay with you?"

"If it makes you comfortable," Elsa replied.

"Then go ahead." Anna faced away from Elsa.

Elsa had resumed changing her clothes. "What were you gonna ask me before, Anna?" She asked, remembering Anna about to ask a question.

"I was asking where you got this stuff?"

"I just found them. You can be surprised how many travelers drop them without noticing."

"How long you have them?

"Several years. Some have been here almost as long as I have," Elsa answered. "Okay, I'm done changing."

 _"She's a fast changer,"_ Anna thought.

Anna turned around to see Elsa back in her ice dress. She was putting the old blue dress, along with some shoes in a chest at the foot of the bed. To Anna's surprise, she saw Elsa wasn't wearing any shoes, not even socks. Her bare feet had full contact with the ice floor. Yet, between that, and her shoulder exposing dress, Elsa didn't look bothered.

"Aren't you cold?" Anna blurted out.

Elsa looked up at Anna. "Excuse me?"

"I asked if you're cold. I mean, we're up in a palace made of ice in the middle of a mountain that snows year round, and you're not wearing any shoes and that dress shows a good amount of your shoulders…" Anna rambled before she stopped herself, getting back to the question at hand. "My point is that aren't you cold, just a bit at least?"

"The cold doesn't really bother me." Was the answer she gave as she closed her chest. "It never has."

"So you're immune to it?"

"Not exactly. I can still feel the cold, but it doesn't bother me that same way it probably would to you. I could be naked in a blizzard and I'll still wouldn't be affected."

"Okay! I think I get the idea…"Anna answered, while also a little uncomfortable with that example. "One question though. If it doesn't bother you, why did you have these mittens and the bonnet that you gave me?"

"Those were part of the other things I found. I kept them just in case they be a good use one day. Looks like I was right. Anyways, what else do you want know about?"

"What about this map? Whoever dropped it must've not been very bright. I mean, a map is something you should never lose."

"I didn't find that map." Elsa made her way to a table next to Anna.

"You didn't? Then how you get it?"

"I made it."

"You made it?!" Elsa nodded.

To that statement, Anna was truly in shock. As she relooks the map, she can see all the details. The directions, how far apart they were, the landmarks. Why the only thing that was wrong was the names. Other than that, it was pretty much an accurate map.

"Unbelievable…"Anna muttered.

"You don't like it?" Elsa asked.

"What, no. I mean, it's impressive."

"I also chart the sky."

"Where are those?"

"Look up."

Anna did look and was surprised by what she saw. There were several dots that seem resemble constellations on different parts of the ceiling. Along with them were several circles that seem to resemble the different phases of the moon.

"You did all that?" Anna asked.

"Yes," Elsa answered. "They help me keep track of what time of year it is.

"Okay then…"Anna wanted to test that theory out. Not that she didn't believe Elsa, but she wanted to see for herself. "Tell me what month it is."

"You see that constellation in that spot?"

"The Big Dipper?" Anna asked her, though Elsa looked confused. "The one with the big square with a line attached to it," Anna said specifically this time.

"Oh, yes," Elsa answered. "As I was saying, that should be in that part of the sky. A full moon happens about once a month and the last one was just about a few weeks ago. If I'm right, we should be in the late winter, the middle of February. Am I right?"

"Wow. You're good." Anna stated. "You did all this yourself? How you'd do it?"

"Well...I do have a compass I found. And a lot of time on my hands."

"Tell me more."

They both had spent the next several moments looking over the map, along with discussing the star chart. Elsa told small stories about the places she had been on the map. Anna had also told her opinions and what some places actual names were.

"My friend is an ice harvester and he told me that several other harvesters call that place as The Ice Hole."

"That sounds a lot better name than the one I gave it," Elsa said.

"Where did you even got the idea to name that place 'Itchy Armpit?'"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was 13 when I named it. I probably didn't think how dumb it sounded."

Both girls chuckled. Anna had resumed looking over the map. As she did, something caught her eye. On the coastline of the map that was south of The North Mountain, there was a drawing them seem to resemble a fjord. In that fjord, there were little drawings of houses. On in particular seem to almost look like the castle. The words 'Fjord City' was written above the buildings.

"What's that supposed to be?" Anna pointed to the drawing to make it clear to Elsa.

"That's some city that isn't too far from here. It's in a fjord." Elsa suddenly stopped for a moment. "You're from there, aren't you?"

"How did you figure that out?"

"It's the only settlement close enough to here that I know of. It seemed like the more obvious place."

"Have you been there before?"

"...No."

"You haven't? Why?"

"I can't."

"What do you mean yo-"

"I just-!" For a moment, Elsa was tensed before calming down again. "...can't. Please just take my word for it."

"Alright."

A sense of silence had appeared in between the young women. As it lingered, Elsa had suddenly remembered a statement Marshmallow had made earlier that day. When they were both talking about Anna.

"Anna," Elsa started. Anna brought her attention towards her. "What were you doing out in that blizzard so far from your home?"

"I was riding my horse when some wolves came out of nowhere and started chasing us. I fell off at some point and roll down a hill and my horse ran off." Anna explained.

"You might've stumbled upon the wolves territory. They tend to avoid people, but they will attack when they feel threatened and want food. It would explain why they chased you. They also probably wanted to hunt your horse for food."

"I just hope the wolves didn't get him." Anna decided to get back on the topic, not wanting to think about her horse. "Anyway, after that, I attempted to walk back home on foot but I guess I got lost. Then that blizzard happened. I tried to stay awake, but the cold was too much. Next thing that happened, I collapse and was ready to accept to freeze to death."

"But you didn't," Elsa brought up.

"I didn't. All because of you."

"Well not just me. Marshmallow carried you back."

"Still, the only reason I'm alive because of you. Thank you."

"You already thanked me for it yesterday."

"Okay well thank you again," Anna gave a small chuckle. "Sometimes people say thank you again to show their gratitude."

"That's rather...odd."

"Sometimes, one thank you isn't enough."

Elsa didn't say anything until she decided to ask Anna another question.

"What's the fjord city like?"

"Oh well, where do I even start?" Anna said. "I guess for starters it's called 'Arendelle', not fjord city."

"Arendelle?"

"Mhm."

 _"Arendelle…"_ Elsa thought. _"Why do I feel like I...heard that name before?"_

"Elsa?" Anna called out. "You alright?"

"What? Oh yes! I'm fine. Just thinking about something. Nothing important."

"Okay, anyways," Anna continued. "It's a beautiful town. Everyone there is pretty much friendly. We have a harbor, shops, and a castle that I-...the king and queen live in." Afraid of overwhelming, and maybe causing Elsa to freak out and put unnecessary amounts of pressure on her, Anna decided it was best not to reveal that she's a princess. For the time being that is.

"King and queen?" Elsa muttered.

"You do know what those are, right?"

"I've heard of them. Though very little."

"What do you know about them?"

"In my previous home, I was allowed to read small stories, including fairy tales. It was the only entertainment I had. Anyway, from those stories, they were often said to be powerful people."

"That is true," Anna answered.

"Why are they powerful?"

"A king and queen are very important people."

"What do they do that is important?"

"They're in charge of caring a kingdom. Making sure everyone that lives in their kingdom are happy and safe."

"Do other places have a king and queen?"

"Lot's of places!" Anna chimed. "Some have kings & queens like Arendelle. Some just have a king or queen. They're also other places that are run by princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses."

"What are those?"

"They have similar jobs to a king and queen. A prince & princess are usually a king and queen's child, but they sometimes can be a close relative to them as well. A duke and duchess are like a king & queen, but they rule over a small territory."

"Wow. I didn't know they were people like that." Elsa said in awe.

Anna took a moment to look at Elsa at that response. She had this look in her eyes and a small smile. It was a look a child would give once they learn something new for the first time. Elsa was about 18 years old, practically a woman, and yet she had the look and curiosity of a child.

"What's your king and queen like?" Elsa asked snapping Anna back to reality.

"Oh well, how do I put it." For all his faults, Anna can admit that her father was indeed a good king. Same could be said for her mother being a good queen as well. "They're very kind. The queen is a gentle and generous woman. The king always looks out for others, though little too much sometimes." Anna muttered the last part of the sentence since she can bring in some truth about her father. "They basically have all the good traits of a king and queen."

"What happens if they don't have good traits?"

"Then you get the worst kind of rulers. Thankfully nothing like that has ever happened in Arendelle's history."

"Can you tell me more about your home?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How did it get there?"

"Oh...do you want the full story?" Elsa nodded eagerly. "Okay…I guess it all started about almost 1,000 years ago when Vikings made landfall here."

For several hours, Anna had explained, to the best of her ability, the history of Arendelle and Norway. She had told how long ago Vikings came to this land and colonized various places. One of those said colonies eventually became Arendelle. After which, she told Arendelle's own history on how it evolved and became to place she knew. For every detail Anna gave, Elsa listened to every word of it.

"...and that's pretty much how Arendelle came to be," Anna concluded.

"I never knew one place could have so much history behind it."

"I only told you what I remembered. Mines was probably not the best version."

"It was still a nice story."

Before Anna could speak, footsteps were heard. It was followed by the sound of the door opening. At the entryway was Olaf.

"Hi, Elsa! Hi, Anna!" He greeted. "What are you two doing?"

"Hi Olaf," Elsa greeted back. "Anna had just finished telling about Arendelle."

"Oooh...Arendelle. I bet it's a nice, beautiful place where you get fun!" Olaf paused for a moment. "What's Arendelle?"

"It's where I came from. My home." Anna replied.

"Well I sure would love to hear all about it, but we can't cause it's almost time."

"It is?" Elsa asked. Olaf nodded his head. Elsa looked over at the clock on her desk. Several hours had indeed passed. "I can't believe I didn't realize it!"

"What are y-" Anna started but was cut off by Elsa talking to Olaf.

"Is Anna coming too?" The snowman asked

"We'll be up there in a moment. I promise."

"Okie dokie!" Olaf then ran out of the room and down the stairs.

"Could you tell what's he talking about?"

"It's nothing extreme. It's something I do with Olaf about every evening. I didn't realize that much time had passed."

"What is it?"

"You'll see soon. Come with me."

The two women left Elsa's bedroom and went down the stairs. Soon, Anna found themselves walking on the stairs on the left side of the palace. Once at the top, there weren't any doors. What Anna saw was an entrance to another room.

The room was much smaller than the foyer but it was a bit bigger than Elsa's bedroom as well. Surrounding the room were several archways designs on the walls. As Anna walked halfway into the room, she saw the same huge snowflake design that she could see on the foyer ceiling. In the reflection of the floor, Anna notices something on the top.

When she looked up, she saw what appears to be a chandelier. Like everything else in the palace, it was also made of ice. It was very big, perhaps even bigger than the biggest chandeliers in the castle in Arendelle.

"Wow..." Anna was still looking at the chandelier. "How you made that?"

"One day I had nothing to do, so I decided to play around with my powers and ended up making it," Elsa answered. "Kept it since."

"So you made it because you were bored?"

"If you want to put it that way."

Anna gave a light chuckle. "So what's this thing we're doing in here?"

"It's not in here. It's out there." Elsa opened open a huge set of doors. Light entered the room, came the revelation of a balcony, with Olaf already there waving. Behind him was perhaps one of the most beautiful things Anna had seen in her life.

The sun was setting behind the mountain range. All around gave a warmly glow. Surround the sun was the pretty pink sky.

"Hey, guys! you're both just in time for the sunset!" Olaf said.

"You know I wouldn't miss watching a sunset with you, Olaf." Elsa turned her attention toward Anna. "What do you think?"

"This is such a sick view!" Anna exclaimed.

"How is a view sick?" Elsa asked, not getting the expression. "I don't think it cannot fall ill."

"No no. It's just an expression. People usually say that when they see something cool, awesome, and amazing."

"That's weird."

"I don't get sick!" Olaf blurted out in his usual happy tone.

A small silence was followed by Olaf's sentence.

"Anyways…" Anna started. "Is this something you two do a lot?"

"Yes. We often like to watch it," Elsa said.

"I love the sun, especially sunsets," Olaf said. "They remind me of warm hugs."

"It's a great view," Anna said.

"If you think this is a great view, wait until after the sun sets."

"What does he mean?"

Elsa gave a sly smile. "You'll see soon."

And so the three of them waited. They all continue watching the sun behind the mountains. Anna's curiosity about the thing that happens after the sun setting. Then once the sky got completely dark something happened.

Lights in various colors appeared in the night sky. Anna realized that these lights were the aurora borealis. Otherwise known as The Northern Lights. Anna had seen these lights many times, but she always has seen them from the comfort of the castle. This time was totally different. The lights were so much bigger at this viewpoint.

"Woah…" Anna trailed off. "I take back my earlier statement. THIS is a pretty sick view."

Anna continued staring at the dancing lights.

"I've watched these lights many times in my life, but I've never seen them this close before. It's so bright and…"

"...Awake." What both Anna & Elsa said at the same time.

The two girls went silent and looked at each other. They were unsure what to say next.

"Did you say awake?" Anna asked.

"Yes," Elsa answered. "Why do you ask?"

"It's just that, my parents use to say that a lot when I was little whenever we see those lights." For several moments, Anna didn't say a word before chuckling a bit. "You know, when I was a kid, I often used it as an excuse for staying up late. When my parents catch me I would say 'The sky's awake, so I'm awake, so I have to play!'." Anna exclaimed in a dramatic way while putting a squeaky voice.

Elsa chuckled at the demonstration. "What would they do?"

"Sometimes it worked. Other times they just put me back in bed. I stopped doing after a few years," Anna answered. "What about you Elsa? Where you get the expression of the sky being awake?"

Elsa didn't answer. For a second, she had looked hesitant to answer the question.

"It just looks awake, doesn't it?"

"Oh," Anna replied, though surprisingly disappointed with Elsa's answer. "I guess it does…"

The sound of grumbling then came out of Anna's stomach.

"Well I guess I should start on dinner," Elsa suggested.

Anna agreed to that statement. And so both girls and snowman retreated back into the ice palace.

* * *

 **Okay, I just want to make a few disclaimers first.**

 ***I have absolute NO knowledge on Norway's history, landscape, and all that good stuff (I'm an American:P). I research the best I could for the sake of the story (I did look up constellations that can be seen in Norway. The Big Dipper (or Ursa Major) was one of them). If I get anything wrong, I apologize in advance. But I should be right about the vikings part, hopefully...**

 ***I still don't know if I'm writing Olaf right.**

 ***And just a reminder, this isn't a ElsAnna story.**

 **Okay now thats done, we finally have and Elsa/Anna chapter. Here Anna learns some more things about Elsa and her day to day life.** **Hoped you guys liked it.**

 **In the time between this and the last chapter, I saw _Coco,_ including _Olaf's Frozen Adventure_ (Before it was taken out of theaters). It was a cute short and l loved the new songs (Ring of the Season (and its reprise) & When We're Together being my favorites.). I may put a chapter in this story inspired by that short. I'm not saying I am, but I'm suggesting its a possibility. I may or may not, we'll see.**

 **And in case anyone wondering about year this chapter this takes in. According to the Disney wiki, _Frozen_ takes place in July of 1839, with _Frozen Fever_ taking place in June of 1840. I'm just going by the info from the wiki. Since Elsa's 18 and Anna is going to be 15 in several months at this point (which was almost around the time their parents died in the film), the year in this chapter is 1836. Again, going by the Disney wiki.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	13. Know Best

**Know Best**

 _It was a dark room or a hallway at least. Elsa wasn't sure what it was. What she did know that she didn't like it. Dark enclosed spaces made her feel uncomfortable. So she started walking, hoping to find a way out. As she walked, Elsa heard what sounded like footsteps._

 _"Hello?" she called out. "Who's there? Show yourself!"_

 _"Hello Elsa," A dark voice came from behind her._

 _Elsa turned around to see a sight she didn't want to see. A man was right there. His hood covered his face, but she can see the evil smirk on it._

 _"You…" Elsa scowled. "What do you want?"_

 _"No need to be feisty now, darlin'," said the hooded man. "Can't I say hello to an old friend."_

 _"We are NOT friends. We never were, and never will be."_

 _"Well, I consider you my friend. And like friends, I like to catch up. Tell me, Elsa, how's life been for you?"_

 _Elsa didn't even respond to that. This only let the man chuckle._

 _"Judging by your silence, I could guess it's still pathetic as has been for the past 10 years."_

 _"Still a better life than you ever gave me."_

 _"You consider living alone on a mountain, living off the land, struggled to survive a much better life than I can offer."_

 _"If you can even call abusing me, and what you plan to use me for, a good life! " Elsa snapped back. "Now do me a favor and leave me alone."_

 _"Oh, Elsa I'm only still here because you don't want me to leave."_

 _"Just buzz off already. You're not even real anyway."_

 _"You are right about that. Though I suppose you're not going to tell me about the girl who you saved, first. Tell me about her, I am rather curious."_

 _Elsa sighed in irritation. Why not? This was a dream after all._

 _"If you really want to know, her name is Anna. I found nearly freezing to death. I took her back to my home and helped her warm up."_

 _"I bet that makes you feel so heroic, doesn't it?" The man mocked._

 _Elsa ignored him. "She's been staying for a few days and...She's really nice. I think she and I are friends."_

 _"Friends?" The man scoffed. "That's what you believe? You're just as naive as you were. This is why you never should have left!" He walked several feet away from her. "Darlin', this whole friendship that you've invented only proves you really don't belong out there."_

 _He started circling around Elsa._

 _"Why would she befriend you? Come on now, really?! Look at you! You think that she's impressed?" He walked to the other side of the hallway. "Don't be so silly, come with me. Master…"_

 _"No!" Elsa quipped back. She knows better than to fall for his tricks, dream or not._

 _"No?" The man was baffled, but his expression quickly turns to an evil smug look. "Oh...I see how it is."_

 _The man started to walk up to her. Not once Elsa moved from her spot._

 _"Elsa knows best. Elsa's so mature now. Such a clever grown-up miss." He touched Elsa's left cheek and stroke a finger along the scar that lied there. She flinches as he stroked her face. "Elsa knows best. Fine, since you're so sure now. But first, let me tell you this." He suddenly pulled out the small ice figure of Anna._

 _"What are you-?" Elsa started._

 _"This is why she's here!" He threw the figurine on the ground, which broke into pieces. "She's just deceiving you. Take control of you, your magic!"_

 _Elsa scrambled on the ground and picked up what was left of the figurine. "You're wrong!"_

 _"Trust me, my dear." He snapped his fingers across his face. "That's how fast she'll turn on you. I won't say I told you so! No, Elsa knows best! So if she's such a 'good friend', go and put her to the test!_

 _"Stop it!" Elsa desperately puts her hands on her ears in her attempt to block him out._

 _"If this capsized, don't be surprised."_

 _"He's wrong. He's wrong. He's wrong." Elsa tells herself._

 _"Master knows best!"_

 _"No. No. NO!"_

 _And then everything went black._

* * *

 **(EDIT: I changed some details)**

 **I know this is a _really_ short chapter, but I wanted to post something before Christmas.**

 **Yes, this chapter is inspired by the _'Mother Knows Best Reprise'_ from _Tangled_. I even put the lyrics in here (and rewrote some of it) as well. And as I stated before, I kinda suck at making parodies of songs. You guys are welcome to suggest better versions if you want. And whether they're singing or not is up to you.**

 **As for the man that Elsa really despises, he's more than a figment in her dreams. That's all I'm saying.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading. Also, I wish you all a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.**


	14. Late Night Thoughts

**Late Night Thoughts**

Elsa quickly opened her eyes and bolted upright. As she looked around, she breathed in relief to she was still in her bedroom. To her left was the window where the northern lights continue to shimmer in the night sky outside.

Near the window, she could see Olaf, Marshmallow, and the Snowgies sleeping. Olaf was lying on the floor on his front, sleeping soundly with a smile on his face and slightly snoring. Marshmallow had his back against the wall and his face slouches forward. The Snowgies sometimes were scattered around the room when they sleep. Some sleep in their own spots, while some snuggled up near Marshmallow or Olaf.

The sight of her live creations sleeping away gave a small smile on Elsa's face. That smile soon fades away as she sat on the other end of the bed. She placed her feet on the ice floor and stared at the door. After some thinking, she decided to walk around to hopefully clear her head.

She got up from the bed and left the room. After walking down the stairs, she made it to the foyer. Elsa walked to the railings on the platform and stood there for a moment, grasping the railing. She had stood in that spot for several minutes before going down the foyer stairs. Elsa walked into the small tunnel leading to the cave.

Just like the past several days, Anna had been sleeping on the stone bed. Elsa noticed the weird sleeping position he was in. Her right arm was sticking up and was snoring slightly louder than Olaf was. Drool was also coming from the corner of her mouth and her braids were starting to look messy. The ice wielder couldn't help but giggle a bit.

After managing to calm herself, Elsa went a bit closer to Anna. The fireplace was starting to simmer down and Elsa could see Anna shivering a bit in her sleep, even with the blanket Elsa provided. Elsa got some wood she keeps on the other end of the cave and relights the fireplace to keep the flames going hopefully until the morning. Before, the fireplace would only be used for cooking meat from animals that Elsa had hunted, or make herb soups. With Anna here, Elsa had been using the fireplace more than usual, knowing very well that other people aren't immune to the cold as she was.

With the fire now taken care of, Elsa went over to Anna. The blanket she had seemed a bit low. Instinctively, Elsa moved the blanket and covered up the rest of Anna's upper body. Anna seemed to stop shivering pretty quickly.

 _"Could she be...only using me for my powers? No. She couldn't be. Friends don't do that. Then again...are we even friends?"_

Elsa looked over at Anna's sleeping form one more time before she got up and left the cave. She found herself in the foyer. It was then Elsa made the decision to go to the balcony room. Once she arrived she went to her balcony and looked up at the sky, watching the lights. As she looked, her mind was back to Anna.

Anna was perhaps the first person Elsa has even gotten close to in probably...ever. During the time she had spent here, she had been nothing but nice towards her. Something she did not expect. Back in her previous home, she had been told most of her life by her…'guardian' that people were horrible & selfish. That they would use her magic for their own goals.

 _People are cruel. People are wicked. Its I alone who you can rely on in this world. I am your only friend._

Those were words that her caretaker used to say to her. And she believed every word of it like that gullible child she was. The moment she escaped she vowed to abandon every belief he had put in her head.

However, even after she escaped Elsa had grown fearful of people and that wasn't something fabricated by her guardian. Every person she had encountered in her life were nothing but harsh, manipulative, and abusive towards her. The only kindness she had ever received were non-human snow companions. It was one the reasons why she never went to the fjord city, or Arendelle as she now knows. She did not want to risk being hurt by people.

And then she found Anna.

When Elsa first saw her in the blizzard, she watched her from a distance. At first, she was considering leaving her, not wishing an encounter. That is until she saw Anna fell on the snowy ground. It was then Elsa saw something she had never seen in another human being before: vulnerability & fear. Once Anna blacked out is when Elsa felt the need to look closer. She saw the look of somber acceptance on Anna's face. Like something horrible was occurring yet she was accepting it anyway. The same feeling that Elsa once felt long ago.

At that moment, Elsa made a realization. If someone was capable of those kinds of emotions then perhaps...she wasn't like other people. Elsa then made the risky choice to bring Anna back to the ice palace. It was a decision she now doesn't regret making. The more time she had spent with her, the more Elsa had seen herself in Anna.

Of course, that goes in more ways than one. Whenever she looks at Anna's face, there was something familiar. Elsa couldn't pinpoint what exactly what that feeling was but it had reminded of her of something that had made her felt...happy.

"Elsa? Are you here?" Elsa turned around to see Olaf in the room looking around. He stopped once he saw her on the balcony. "Oh, there you are! I was afraid that I wouldn't find you. What are you doing out here so late?"

"I couldn't sleep," Elsa answered.

"Oh," Olaf said. "Did you had a bad dream again?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I know you," Olaf answered softly. "You only come here in the middle of the night whenever you do have them."

Elsa didn't reply.

"Was it bad?" Olaf asked

"No, it wasn't. Nothing to be worried about."

"Do you want to be alone?"

"No, I was about to go back anyway. I'll walk back with you." Elsa grabbed Olaf's twig hand. A smile grew on the snowman's face as did Elsa's. She took one last look at the night sky before walking.

When they had returned to the bedroom, one of the snowgies had run up to them. Olaf immediately went over to the creature.

"Sludge, what are doing up?" Olaf asked.

Elsa got on her knees to get a better eye level. As soon as she did, Sludge went over to her immediately. She looked at Sludge's face and saw that he looked scared. Elsa laid out both of her palms, indicating the snowgie to jump on. She brought him to her eye level.

"What's the matter little one?"

 _"I woke up and you weren't in here! I was afraid you were gone!"_ Sludge spoke. Like Marshmallow, the Snowgies speak in a language similar to his. _"Then I noticed Olaf was gone too and I got really scared!"_

"Its okay," Elsa said reassuringly. "I was having trouble sleeping and was clearing my head. Olaf was just checking on me. Nothing to worry about."

The little snowgie then snuggled up against his creator's chest. Elsa was happy to return the gesture.

"Now I think you should go back to sleep," Elsa suggested.

 _"Okay but...can I sleep with you?"_

"Of course."

Elsa got up and walked over to her bed. She placed Sludge on the bed before getting on.

 _"Elsa? Can you sing that lullaby?"_

"Oh yes, can you please? I haven't heard you sing it in ages!" Olaf excitedly climbed onto the bed and sat close to Elsa. The sound of her soothing voice was something that all of Elsa's creations loved to hear.

"I don't know. It's been a while." However, the begging expressions of Sludge and Olaf were enough to convince her. "Alright, but we all go to sleep when I'm done." Both snow creatures eagerly nodded their heads. Elsa took a moment to clear her throat.

 _"Come stop your crying_  
 _It will be alright_  
 _Just take my hand_  
 _And hold it tight"_

The effects of her soft singing were starting to take effect on Olaf & Sludge.

 _"I will protect you_  
 _From all around you"_

A small yawn escaped from Olaf as his eyes grew droopy. Sludge had already lied down on the bed.

 _"I will be here_  
 _Don't you cry."_

Elsa had finished her song. Sludge had already fallen asleep. Olaf was already laying in his side on the opposite end of the bed.

"Hey, Elsa. Where did you learn that...song?" Olaf asked as he gave another yawn.

"I...I don't know actually. It's like it was always in my head."

However, Olaf didn't hear Elsa's answer as he had already fallen asleep. Elsa bent over and gave him a small kiss on his head. She then lied back down and went to sleep. She had no other nightmares that night.

* * *

 _15 years ago (January 1821)..._

 _"Look at the sky, Elsa."_

 _"It's so pretty."_

 _"They're called the aurora borealis."_

 _"A-or-a bore-alice…"_

 _Agdar couldn't help but smile at his daughter's attempt to say the name. Both he and his three year old, Elsa were both looking out the window watching the Northern Lights in the sky._

 _"Some say that the lights have magic in them."_

 _"Like mine?" The young girl perks up._

 _"Perhaps."_

 _Little Elsa gave a big smile. It had lasted for a few minutes before it grew small._

 _"Papa," Elsa spoke timidly, which threw Agdar a bit off guard._

 _"What's the matter?"_

 _"Do you and mama still love me?"_

 _"Of course we do. Why would you ask that?"_

 _"You two haven't spent a lot of time with me. You and mama always had time for me before."_

 _"You think that just because we haven't been spending time with you lately means we don't love you anymore?" To that, Elsa slightly nodded. "Elsa, we've just been busy than usual. This time of the year is always busy, especially after New Years. And your mother is starting to show and has to rest for when the new baby comes."_

 _"What if you both are too busy that you forget me?"_

 _"You're the most important thing to me and your mother. Nothing will ever stop us from loving you."_

 _"But...what if I forget you and mama?"_

 _Agdar didn't know how to respond to that. He hated making his young daughter believe that. It was then he got a small idea._

 _"Elsa, look at me. Let me tell you a story that my mother once told me when I was a child."_

 _Elsa sat up and gave all her attention to her father. She loved hearing stories, especially ones from her papa._

 _"Once upon a time, there was a prince who had lived in a kingdom similar to ours long ago. His parents, the king & queen, were very kind rulers and loved their son very much. One day their son went into the woods at night where he had an accident and was badly hurt. There, a teardrop fell from the moon landed on him and saved his life by freezing his wounds. However, the moondrop landed on his head and froze his memories, causing him to forget who he was."_

 _"What happened to him?"_

 _"He was found by another village and they had taken him in where had spent the next few years. During that time, he had befriended the villagers, got married and started a family of his own."_

 _"What about his parents? Did they ever find him?"_

 _"That's when the story gets interesting. Even though he seemed happy with his life, something in him felt empty and he knew it. The prince had kept having dreams of two people that he felt like he knew but could not remember. His wife took decided to help him by taking him to creatures that were rock trolls."_

 _"Trolls? Aren't they bad?" Elsa asked._

 _"No worries, these weren't. These trolls had once raised the wife until she was able to care for herself." Agdar then resumed the story. "Anyways, she had brought him to the trolls so they could help him. The trolls had told him that ice had been put there by the moon and that it had frozen his memories and those dreams were memories trying to thaw out. The wife suggested that the trolls remove the memory of magic, but they couldn't because this type of magic was different and the only way for the prince's memories to thaw out is to find the two figures in his dream. The problem was is that he couldn't remember who they were."_

 _"What happened next?"_

 _"The trolls suggested that the prince would go to an area that looked similar to the ones in his dreams. After which, the prince piece parts of the dreams and discovered a castle. So he and his family went to the nearby kingdom. The prince saw his parents for the first time in, what felt like to both sides, forever. It was then that both parties realized who they were and the prince was reunited with his parents. He and his family moved with his parents and they all lived happily ever after."_

 _"That was such a good story."_

 _"It was," Agdar agreed. "But I told you this story for a reason. Stories are entertaining but they also serve as lessons, both real & fiction. Tell me, Elsa, what did you learn from the story?"_

 _The little princess sat there for several minutes._

 _"Love will thaw?"_

 _"That's right. It was the prince's love he had for his parents that helped him bring him home, and the love his parents had for him helped thawed his frozen memories. Love conquers all and thaws even the most frozen objects. Nothing will ever freeze the love that I have for you and your mother. And if you do somehow forget us, always remember: Love will Thaw. Never forget that, Elsa."_

 _"And in several months we'll have a new member in the family to share that love, right Papa?"_

 _"Of course, and no one will tell me otherwise. Y'know why?" Elsa shook her head. "'Cause no one messes with your papa."_

 _At that moment, Agdar quickly picked Elsa up and started dancing around the room. He lifted Elsa in the air several times as he did. Elsa, on the other hand, was laughing gleefully. After a bit, Agdar stopped and Elsa wrapped her arms around her father's neck and buried her head in his shoulder. Agdar responded by patting her back. A small yawn escaped from Elsa's mouth soon after._

 _"Alright, I think it's time that you should get some sleep."_

 _"I'm not tired. The sky's awake, so I have to…" Elsa let out another yawn. "...be awake."_

 _"Even the sky has to sleep at some point."_

 _Agdar carried her to her bed. No matter how much she tries to convince her father she wasn't tired, Agdar wouldn't budge. He placed Elsa on her bed and tucked her in._

 _"Don't forget Sir Jorgenbjorgen," Agdar held up a stuffed puffin. Elsa immediately grabbed her toy and wrapped her arms around it._

 _"Papa?" Elsa spoke up._

 _"Yes, Elsa?"_

 _"We're pals, right?"_

 _"Right."_

 _"And we'll always be together, right?"_

 _"Of course, snowflake." Agdar kissed his daughter's forehead. "I promise you, nothing but nothing will ever get in our way."_

* * *

Agdar slowly opens his eyes. He lied there for several seconds before sitting upright on his bed. Looking to a corner of the room lied a grandfather clock, whose ticking was the only noise heard. It was almost 3 in the morning. Turning to the opposite side of the bed lied Idun who was sleeping away. Agdar couldn't help but envy his wife at that moment. Able to sleep away the night no matter what issues had arisen. Then again, she was more calm minded then he was.

Throughout most of the day, Agdar had been aiding in the search party for Anna. He was practically up from dawn to dusk. Only stopping so he could eat and rest, while others did the night search. That's how it's been since the blizzard had stopped. Yet despite all the energy he had put, he cannot fall asleep again.

Deciding that sleeping would be pointless, he gave a small kiss on his sleeping wife's cheek before getting off the bed. Putting on a robe and slippers, he left the room and quietly closed the door. The hallways were dark, the only light being several candles lighted on the wall. As he walked down, he had approached Anna's bedroom door.

Not helping himself, he decided to peek in. Anna's bedroom had been exactly in the same state since she had gone missing. The floor was messy, her bed hadn't been made, and a dress was dangling from the bed curtain. How it got up there Agdar didn't know.

Taking a deep sigh, Agdar pulls out from the room and closed the door and he resumed walking down the hall. He had kept walking until another door had stopped him. This door had blue patterns. Several most noticeable ones were in the form similar to snowflakes.

It was the entrance to what was once Elsa's bedroom.

For a moment, Agdar stood in front of the door. Digging his hand in his nightshirt, he pulled out a key that had a string going through the head of the key. This was the only key to the door. Most of the time it had remained locked. He had the urge to go in there. It wouldn't be the first time he had done so. There were several times where Agdar found himself going into Elsa's room. Some may find that a bit weird, but to Agdar it was somewhat of a coping method. Tonight, however, he didn't feel up to it. He put the key back in his shirt and started walking down the halls again, albeit slowly. This had gone on when Agdar bumped into something.

"Oh, your majesty! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

Agdar recognized that voice. He looked up to see one of the night guards. Peterson, he believed the name was.

"No need for that," Agdar assured. "It's my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Is there anything I could help you with?"

"No, tha-" Agdar paused as something popped into his head. "Actually...do you have any updates from the night searches for Anna?"

"Somewhat," The guard replied. "Ottosen and Haugen's groups haven't found anything. We should be getting an update about Captain Storstrand & Kristoff's group soon though."

The news disappointed the king. He had hoped that the groups had at least some progress. But just like the past few days, there were no new leads.

"Your majesty?" Peterson called out.

"Uh, thank you. That would be all. Goodnight."

Agdar did have the chance to hear Peterson's response as he quickly walked away. The king kept on walking until he had made it to his study. He briefly looked around as he walked in. It was one of the few places in the castle where he could be truly alone. Sometimes even the best place to express his true emotions.

Being the king, Agdar had to keep up an image. It was done in order to assure the people, especially in times of crisis, that he is still their strong king. Conceal, don't feel, he would tell himself. This was a method taught by his father to help him handle these situations and to keep his emotions in check. Agdar would often use that mantra, even if it was proven unhealthy at times. The only time he expressed his deeper, true emotions was with Idun. But there were times where he cannot even express how he is truly feeling in the comforting presence of his wife.

Going over near a corner of his desk, Agdar let out a loud groan of frustration as he knocked something off the desk. What it was he didn't care. After taking several breaths, Agdar took a seat on the couch. He placed his hands on his head. It was then he did something very few rarely seen.

He cried.

There were very few times where Agdar had cried. This was the first time in years he had done this. The stress of Anna's missing presence was weighing down on him. Along with another old wound. He hoped that he would never ever had to go through this type of situation again. It would seem fate had other plans.

 _"Oh lord,"_ Agdar said silently to himself. _"What did I ever do to deserve this? Is this you telling me that I'm not meant to be a father_?"

Silence.

 _"Tell me something. Anything!"_

Again, silence had occurred.

 _"Please Lord, I-I want Anna...Elsa...I just want them back."_

Once again, all he got was silence.

 _"I just want my girls home…"_ he whispered to himself, more tears flowed down from his eyes.

If Anna was found, alive hopefully, Agdar vowed that things will be different. He will not make the same mistake again. Things will be different.

* * *

 **Just what this story needs. A tablespoon of fluff, and a bottle full of ANGST!**

 **Poor Agdar. It must hard trying to maintain an kingly image while dealing with missing daughters. You can see here how much he love Elsa. I've always headcannon him to be somewhat of a emotional guy. He sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him. I like to think that Anna got her 'Feisty Pants' personality from her dad (maybe that was his nickname as well at one point :P).**

 **I also hope you like that little story I made up.**

 **And we have Sir Jorgenbjorgen (I think that's how you spell it) from Olaf's Frozen Adventure making his debut! (I thought it would be a nice thing to add).**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	15. The Search Goes On

**The Search Goes On**

"What makes you think she could be out there? How could she have managed to get that far too begin with?"

In the deep woods outside of Arendelle, a search party for Anna was its inhabitants. It had consist of Kristoff, Captain Storstrand of the Royal Guard, and several others. They were currently resting. Earlier, Kristoff had gotten the idea to expand their search even farther. Most had agreed, while some had different opinions. At the moment, Kristoff was having a small spat with one of the soldiers.

"The blizzard was a complete whiteout. It's possible that she could have wandered out here," Kristoff pointed out. "There was no trace of her near the kingdom. It makes more sense to look further out."

"Assuming she was still alive at that point to do so," the soldier spoke up.

"Bjorgman does make a good point, Johnson," Another guard spoke up. "That blizzard was hard to see through. It could be possible that the princess couldn't see where she was going and ended up out here."

"Unless those wolves dragged her bo-"

"Enough!" Storstrand commanded, having enough with the petty squabble. "I don't want to hear any more of that kind talk, Johnson. Understood?"

"...Yes sir."

"Then you go and rest up. We'll be moving again soon."

The soldier walked away from the captain and sat near a tree. The other soldiers that watched the squabble quickly resume to their own business. Storstrand looked over to Kristoff.

"I'm sorry about that," Kristoff apologize.

"It's alright. I think all the searching has made some of us a little tired," Storstrand said. "Resting here was probably a good decision. Speaking of which, I would recommend you do the same."

The ice harvester nodded and went to his reindeer. Storstrand went back to his horse and tended to it. As he did, he observed the other soldiers in his group. Some of them had looked pretty tired from searching. If the captain was being honest to himself, some of these soldiers were treating this more like Search & Recovery rather than Search & Rescue, even though it felt like the former as much as the captain hated to admit. The trail had seemed to gone cold, and the tracker dog was starting to lose the scent. But the captain was not going to give up on the princess yet.

Storstrand had been in the service of the royal guard for about 2 decades, half of which as the captain of the guard. He had joined the same year Princess Elsa was born. Just 3 years later, she vanished. It was a no-brainer to most everyone that she was kidnapped. He couldn't fathom the pain the king & queen went through. While Storstrand didn't have children of his own nor was married, his brother that has two sons of his own. His nephews meant the world to the captain. If anything were to happen to them...that was something Storstrand rather not think about.

The kidnapping of Princess Elsa had broken the hearts of everyone in the kingdom, including the guards. Storstrand could remember how several guards, including his predecessor, felt afterward. The looks of guilt on their faces had never left the captain's memory. Some of those guards even had quit in the months afterward because they believed they had failed. Of course, that wasn't the end of it. Several years later, the previous captain had unexpectedly resigned. No one knew why but Storstrand had a good guess. There was also 'The Incident', which is something he rather not remember at the moment.

And now history is seemingly repeating itself with Princess Anna seemingly vanished, albeit different circumstances. While odds of the princess being alive are getting lower and lower as the days went on, the captain won't give up quite easily. Storstrand wasn't like the soldiers that had left those years ago. He had already failed to protect one princess, he won't fail another.

On the other end, Kristoff was with Sven. Kristoff look to see Sven happily munching on his carrots. Normally, the ice harvester would share them with the reindeer, but he didn't have the appetite. Sven took notice of this and he nudged his friend in an attempt to get his attention

"What?" Kristoff said annoyedly. Seeing the hurt look on his friend's face made him realize what he did. "Sorry, Sven. I didn't mean to lash out at you. It's been a rough few days."

That was a statement the reindeer understood.

 **"We'll find her. Everything will be fine. You'll see,"** Sven said.

"I hope so too bud."

If the King was the most eager to look for Anna, then Kristoff would probably come into a tie, or second at least. Aside from Sven and his family, Anna was the important thing in his life. Ever since that day they met in the town they had been the bestest friends around. They both got into all kinds of mischief as kids. While there were some who might disapprove of such friendship, Anna, nor her family, didn't care.

Before he met Anna, Kristoff had lived a very lonely life. At a young age, he had lost both of his parents. He remembered some things about them. His father was an ice harvester and his mother would often like to help him out. One day, his parents went out to do their usual ice harvesting and they never came back home. That night several ice harvesters came by to his home and had told the boy that there was an accident and it had taken both of his parents.

From there on, the group had taken the boy in. They weren't close, but they at least fed him, clothed him, and gave him shelter. But Kristoff couldn't have the same bond as he shared with his family.

When he was eight years old, months before his current family found him, Sven came into his life. It was a day Kristoff will never forget. While the group of ice harvesters was resting from a tiring day, Kristoff had gotten bored and wanted to explore the forest. It was then he heard cries from an animal. He followed the noise and it had led him something he'll never forget. A reindeer calf was nudging what was presumingly his mother. The bigger reindeer had wounds all over her body. It had appeared that she had been attacked by wolves and succumbed to her wounds. While he knew it was weird, Kristoff knows the feeling the calf was going through. Losing your parent so unexpectedly. Using some carrots, Kristoff befriended the reindeer and they've been inseparable since. Years later, they both would make friends in the form of a 9-year-old princess.

 **"I know she will. If I know Anna, she isn't one to give up without a fight."** Sven tried to further his point. **"I'm willing to bet that right now she's in a cave safe and sound, waiting for you to find her."**

"Y'know sometimes I wonder what would I do without you," Kristoff petted Sven's snout.

 **"You be hopelessly lost."**

"Oh knock it off," Kristoff playfully nudged the reindeer. "We both know you go crazy without me."

Meanwhile, several soldiers were sitting near a small fire made to warm themselves up. They were talking to pass the time.

"Hey guys, you know that night guard Peterson?" a soldier asked.

"Yeah," a second soldier spoke up. "What about him?"

"Well, when I left to give our update back at the castle, I managed to bump into him before I left. He said he saw the king wandering down the halls close to 3 A.M. The king had this blank look on his face, almost like a zombie according to him."

"You're bullshitting us, Falk?"

"That's what Petterson told me, Adams," Falk said. "I don't know about you, but I think the king is losing it."

"Poor guy." Spoke up a third soldier. "It must be hard not knowing whether your daughter is alive or not."

"You're right about that, Daniels," Falk agreed. "I wouldn't blame him for pulling all the resources he has into finding Princess Anna, considering what happened years ago."

"What happened?" another soldier asked, curious to what they meant.

The three soldiers, Falk, Adams, and Daniels looked at the soldier confusedly.

"You...you don't know, Hall?" Adams asked.

"No, I really don't."

"Oh, that's right!" Falk said as he snapped his fingers. "You've only been in Arendelle for a few months."

"I'm surprised you haven't heard about it by now," Daniels said. "Everyone and their mother pretty much know the story."

"Would either of you please tell me what you're talking about?" Hall said.

"Well, how do I start this?" Falk started. "Princess Anna isn't the only princess. Years ago, there was another."

"There was another princess?" Hall spoke up after a while after a small period of silence.

"Yes. Princess Anna's older sister, Princess Elsa. Nicknamed 'The Gift of Arendelle', since she was born several days before Christmas."

"What happened to her?"

It was then the three soldiers faces grew grim. Like they were reminiscing something awful from the past. Soon, Falk recomposed himself and continued with the story.

"About fifteen years ago, some creeps manage to break into the castle and snuck into the princess's room. They kidnapped and took her away from here. No matter where we looked, there was no trace of her. She hasn't been seen since."

"The poor lass was only three," Daniels added. "Lord knows what happened to her."

"My God. I...I honestly had no idea something like that had happened before." Hall was obviously stunned by the revelation. "Why would someone do that?"

"No one knows why. There was never ransom of some sort. Though there have been some speculations," Falk said.

"I hear it was done by the same person who had stolen Corona's princess," Daniels said. "That's what many believed for the longest time up until it was disproved last year when Princess Rapunzel was found."

"You know what I heard?" Adams spoke. "I heard a curse of some sort was placed on both families since both of the queens are sisters."

"That's just some superstitious bullshit. There's no such thing as curses!"

"The point is!" Falk spoke of, ceasing the small argument. "...That we don't know what happened nor why it happened. And we may never get those answers." A grim silence fell upon the soldiers soon after.

"How did the kingdom handle this? I can only imagine it was hard on everyone," Hall spoke up.

"It was," Adams added, sadness was clear in his voice. "Princess Elsa's disappearance broke the king's & queen's heart. Mostly the former from what I heard."

"How bad?

"He became somewhat of a recluse for a brief time. He would hardly step outside, even out of his room. Some say he grew somewhat of a cold personality, which was quite surprising considering he was said to be a very kind man. Rumor has it, he almost went insane and nearly killed someone."

"D-did he?" Hall asked, slightly shocked at that last statement.

"It has never been proven, but I highly doubt that's true. People who have nothing better to do like to stir up all sorts of crap," Daniels brought up.

"You never know," Falk said. "They say the greatest tragedy is a father losing his child. A tragedy such as that can do all sort of things to a person's head."

"Goodness ...Judging from what you guys told me, I can see why everyone wants to find Princess Anna so badly," Hall said.

"Wish Johnson shares that attitude. That guy is such a pessimist sometimes," Daniels said, to which the others nodded & muttered in agreement.

Several moments afterward, there was silence. Not one guard had spoken a word to each other. The only sounds that were given were the crackling sounds of the small fire.

"Do...do you think Princess Anna is still alive?" Hall asked.

"I don't know, Hall. We can only hope at this point," Falk paused for a moment. "If she isn't...the least we could do is find her remains and give her a proper funeral."

"Let's just hope it's not the latter."

* * *

 _20 minutes later..._

The group had resumed their search. They were going deeper into the woods. Their only source of light was their lanterns to help guide them through the dark forest. Each person had called out for Anna's name.

"Anna!"

"Princess!"

Each call they gave out, the sound silence was their only response. As this went on, the guards were starting to feel more and more discouraged.

"So far, we haven't found any sign of her," a soldier spoke up.

"Don't lose hope yet, soldier," Storstrand said.

"I still think this is pointless," Johnson, the soldier that had argued with Kristoff earlier. "Unless there was some miracle, I don't see how the princess could still be alive."

"I told earlier Johnson, I don't want to hear more of that kind of talk,"

"Yeah Johnson. Stop being so damn negative," Adams said.

"I'm not being negative. I'm being realistic," Johnson defended. "And it seems I'm the only one being realistic."

"How could believe that the princess is dead?"

"Well let's see...She's been gone for two days, almost three, we're in the middle of winter, and recently went through a harsh blizzard. So yeah, excuse me for considering the circumstances and not be set up for disappointment."

"You don't know if she's even dead!"

"And you don't know if she's even alive!"

"Knock it off you two!" Storstrand shouted.

As the captain was trying to settle down the argument, Kristoff noticed Sven acting odd. The reindeer's head suddenly jerked up and his nose started to twitch. He suddenly started to sniff the ground.

"Hey, what's the matter, Sven?" Kristoff asked.

However, Sven ignored his friend and started to walk fast as he sniffed the ground. The soldiers took notice of the reindeer's odd behavior.

"What's up with your reindeer, Bjorgman?" A soldier asked.

"I think he's looking for something," Kristoff suggest, though a bit unsure himself.

The ice harvester & royal guards watch Sven as he looked around, nose still on the ground. They watched as he moved side to side. Suddenly he stopped and start grunting loudly.

"And I think he just found it."

Kristoff ran over to his friend, followed by several of the soldiers. Sven was simoustanly digging and pointing at the ground, indicating that there was something of importance. Kristoff helped his companion dug as the soldiers watch. Some waited in anticipation, unsure if they found a clue or Anna's dead corpse. Finally, the pair stopped digging. Kristoff reached for something in the ground and slowly stood up.

"Did you find something, Bjorgman?"

"Yes," Kristoff stuck out his hand. It was a mitten. "This is Anna's."

"Are you sure?" Storstrand asked.

"Positive. I gave her this glove. Plus not a lot of people come around these parts of the woods. It's the only explanation."

"Then there's only one way to find out."

Storstrand went to a guard and got one of the dogs used in order to help track Anna. The captain gesture Kristoff to let the dog sniff. Kristoff knelt down in front of the dog and watch it sniff the mitten. As sniffing for a few minutes, the dog suddenly lets out several barks and started to run.

"Get on your steeds, men and follow that dog!" Storstrand commanded.

Everyone complied and got on their horse, or reindeer in Kristoff's case. They commanded their steeds to run fast. Inside of the men, newfound hope and determination to find the princess had been restored.

 _"Don't worry Anna. We'll have you back home soon enough,"_ Kristoff thought.

The men keep on riding in the deep in the woods. In the line of direction was The North Mountain in the distance.

* * *

 **Yeah, I know its filler, but its been a while since we seen Kristoff & Sven.**

 **Along in this chapter, we see the perspectives from the soldiers on Elsa's kidnapping. They have some interesting ideas on what happened afterwards. Who knows?**

 **I know it may seem odd, but I do think soldiers do refer to others by their last name. I feel like that's something they would do, I may be wrong though.**

 **I heard that reindeer can sniff objects several feet below the snow (don't remember where I heard that so I could be wrong).**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	16. Going Back Home

**Going Back Home**

 _February_ _20th, 1836_

At the ice palace, Anna was on the upper platform in the foyer. She had been looking for Elsa and was having no luck so far. Anna checked her bedroom, but no one was in, aside from several Snowgies. From the corner of her eye, she saw Olaf on the floor below the platform. She decided to ask him.

"Hey, Olaf."

"Morning Anna!" Olaf greeted with his usual smile. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes. Have you've seen Elsa anywhere? She wasn't in her room. I was wondering if she had left."

"She might be in the balcony room."

"Okay, I'll look there. Thanks."

"You're welcome!" As Anna headed to the balcony room, the snowman resumed what he had been doing. "Now where are Slush, Sludge, and Slide?"

In the balcony room, Anna had just arrived. The room was empty. Then, she noticed the doors to the balcony were opened and saw Elsa gazing out. Anna walked up to the doorway.

"Elsa?" She called out.

"Anna!" Elsa quickly turned. "I didn't hear you. What brings you here?"

"You didn't leave me breakfast like you usually do."

"Oh shoot!" Elsa placed her hand on her forehead. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean forget." The ice weirder was speaking in a matter that sounded like panic.

"Woah, take it easy. It's not the end of the world."

Elsa faced Anna. "You're not upset?"

"Of course not," Anna assured. "Every now and again, we tend to be forgetful. Lord knows I had my moments. Why would I be upset?"

"It's just that...in my previous home, if I had forgotten to do something, or make any mistake, I would get punished."

"What did they do?" Anna asked though she was afraid of the answer.

"You already saw some of the answers on my arms."

That was an answer Anna was afraid of hearing. Of course, she had the idea that Elsa had been beaten in the past, but being beaten for making mistakes? That's a whole other thing. "They hurt you?"

"It was to make sure that I would never make it again."

"That's horrible."

"It was. But it's doesn't matter now, it's all in the past. I got away from them and they haven't bothered me."

"Still, it's bad what they did. I would never hurt you for making a simple mistake. Or I wouldn't hurt you, period."

Elsa looked up at Anna. "You wouldn't?"

"Of course. I'm nothing like those people you were with. I mean, I don't know how bad they were, but I'm sure they were pretty bad. They had no right to do that to you! You didn't deserve any of that. No one does."

Hearing those words hade makes Elsa feeling a little...happy in her. Here was someone she hardly knew just mere days ago. Now, she's talking like they had known each other for a long time. Like, she cared for her.

"That's…was really nice of you to say."

"It was?" Elsa nodded her head. "Well um, thanks."

"C'mon, Let's get you some breakfast," Elsa suggested.

The two girls walked back inside, closing the balcony door. As They walked, Elsa replayed Anna's words in her head. Never once did she hear from another person that Elsa didn't deserve the treatment she had gotten in her early childhood years. She will never forget the taunts of her holders saying that every beating she got was deserved. Hearing another person say she didn't further Elsa's confidence to ask Anna a question she had been thinking about. And today she was going ask it.

She was going to ask if she and Anna are friends.

* * *

Not far from The North Mountain lied a region of forest. In it were three of the Snowgies: Slush, Sludge, and Slide.

Being out of the palace and away from the mountain was no stranger to them. Elsa did allow her creations to leave the ice palace at their will. They would be permitted as long they followed two rules. Rule #1, be home by sundown. Rule #2, if they see any people, they were to head back home immediately and not got spotted. Fortunately, not many people come to the mountains, so following the second rule was a rare occurrence.

At the moment, two of the Snowgies were currently playing a game. They were playing a small game of tag. Slush was the one currently it.

 _"You can't catch me!"_ Slide playfully tainted.

 _"Never say never!"_ Slush declared.

While the duo played their game, Sludge was laying down near a bush. He was tired from playing with his brothers for most of the morning. However, his relaxing came to a halt once he heard footsteps nearby. Sludge merely passed it off as an animal until he heard noises. Not noises heard from animals. These were voices. Deciding to investigate, Sludge got up and slowly walked into the bushes, his two brothers didn't notice. As he walked, the voices became clearer.

"Can we take a small break again? We've been at it most of the night and morning."

"I have to agree with Adams. Some of the men looked as if they're about to collapse."

"Very well. We'll take another break."

"But we're so close! We can't stop now. The dog still has the trail."

"I know you're eager, Kristoff, but we won't be no help to the princess if most of the men are exhausted."

Those what Sludge had heard. Peeking through the leaves he saw it. There was a group of men. Actual people. Sludge took one small gulp of fear as he slowly backed away, mentally reciting Rule#2 to himself. On the other side of the bush, Slush & Slide were still playing. That had ceased once they noticed their brother acting odd as he walked backward.

 _"You alright Sludge?"_ Slush asked.

 _"Run…"_ Sludge muttered.

 _"What?"_ Slide asked.

 _"We should start running…"_ Sludge suddenly started running. _"Like NOW!"_

 _"What's gotten him riled up?"_

 _"Uh, I think I know why..."_ Slush said, trembling with fear.

Slide looked over to see his brother looking in the bush. Curious, he looked over and saw the group of men. Fear was written his face, along with his brother. The duo decided to follow their brother's example and started running for it.

 _"WOAH, GEEZE! THEY'RE RIGHT BEHIND US!"_ Slide shouted as he ran.

 _"Come on little brother! Let get outta here!"_ Slush followed.

On the other end of the bush, the soldiers were resting, completely unaware of what had just transpired. However, Hall's face had perked up.

"Did you guys hear that?" Hall asked.

"Hear what?"

"Like, a tiny squeak."

The other soldiers just look at him oddly. Not really sure what to make of that question.

"I think the cold air is messing with your head, Hall," Daniels suggested.

Believing his comrade, Hall had decided to shrug it off. It probably was a trick by his head.

"Y'know, you're probably right."

Little did they know...

* * *

After breakfast, the two girls had hung out again in Elsa's bedroom. Anna was once again looking over the items Elsa had collected. Elsa had been mostly quiet, only saying anything whenever Anna had a question about her items.

"Where'd you find this knife?"

"I was following a hunter and he dropped it," Elsa answered. "I never really used it."

"It's cool looking though." Anna kept on examining the small tool. Elsa could see the small admiration she had for it in her eyes.

"If you want, you can have it."

"Really?" Anna asked. "I couldn't, it's yours."

"Please. I have no use for it anyway."

"Gee, well...thanks," Anna said with some joy, though still surprised with the gift.

Anna resumed admiring the knife. Ever since she was a child, she had always had an interest in weapons. She had her father to thank for that.

Despite his overprotective nature, he had never had any issue with Anna liking weapons, much less using one (Though he was always made sure to be with her when she does). He had taught her how to use swords, arrows, crossbows, and even guns. He had even taken her with him on several hunting parties. Ironically, the one thing that Anna actually considered dangerous was the one thing that she and her father bonded over. The few times her father didn't constantly have the need to protect her.

Looking at Anna, Elsa decided it was time. Taking a deep breath first before asking her question.

"Anna?" Elsa's voice pulled Anna out of her reminiscing. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"What?"

"Uh forget that," Anna said, realizing that Elsa wouldn't get the joke. "What do you want to ask me?"

"Ar-are we fri-?"

Before Elsa could finish the question, a loud band had interrupted her. Both girls turned to the source of the noise. There was Olaf with the doors wide open. He had a panicked look on his face.

"Elsa! You got to get downstairs, now! It's an emergency!"

Just before Anna could saying anything, Elsa immediately got up and followed Olaf, leaving a confused, but curious Anna. Wanting to know what was happening, the young princess decided to see what was going on. Leaving the room and going down the stairs, she saw the commotion in the foyer.

Gathered was Elsa, Olaf, Marshmallow, and all the Snowgies. It looked like a family meeting of sorts. Anna noticed 3 snowgies in the center. 2 of them looked frightened while one looked to be talking to Olaf & Elsa.

"Everything will be fine," Anna heard Elsa say. "They'll probably just pass by."

"Who'll pass by?" Everyone turned to face Anna. "What's going on?"

"Slush, Sludge, and Slide saw people!" Olaf exclaimed.

"People?" Anna asked.

"Uhuh! A small group of them. Just a little south from here. They had horses, a dog, and even a reindeer!"

"It probably just a hunting group. They wouldn't come up here," Elsa suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time."

That was a statement everyone seems to agree with. However, Anna had a different idea of who they were.

"Did they have names?" she asked.

Everyone looked at the three snowgies. Slush and Slide had expressions indicating that they didn't know. But then, Anna saw Sludge squeaking fast.

"What's he saying?" she asked.

"Sludge said he heard one of them call someone 'Kristoff'," Olaf said.

With that answer, Anna's suspicions had been confirmed. Kristoff, a perhaps even several members of the royal guard were searching for her. And if the snowgies were right about having dogs, they weren't far off from finding her. Along with Elsa and her creations. Realizing what she has to do, Anna quickly took off the spare mittens and bonnet.

"Anna, What are you doing?" Elsa asked

"I have to leave."

"What, why?" Olaf asked.

"If I stay here any longer, those people will come here. Which is why I have to go."

"I don't understand," Elsa said.

"Those men aren't hunters. They're looking for me."

"Why?" Elsa was confused. Of course, she remembered Anna mentioning of having a family. She suspected that they themselves would look for her. Not a group of men.

Anna looked at Elsa. It was at the moment that she knew that she had to tell Elsa the truth.

"Do you remember yesterday when I told you about my home's king & queen?" Anna asked.

"Yes...What does that have to do anything?"

"Well, you see...those men were sent by them to look for me was because...they're my parents."

"But...if the king & queen are your parents," Olaf trailed off before making a small gasp. "That means you're a-!"

"Yes," Anna cut him off. "I'm a princess. Specifically, Princess Anna Eriksen of Arendelle."

For several moments, no had dared to say anything. They all looked at each other. Except for Elsa who just stared at Anna.

"Why didn't you tell me you're a princess?" she asked.

"I wasn't sure how you would react. I didn't want to overwhelm you. I'm sorry," Anna answered. "But that doesn't matter anymore. I have to get to those men before they get here. And I'm sure any of you guys don't want that. So I have to leave."

"But you can't go!" Olaf exclaimed.

Anna looked to see the sad look on the snow creatures expressions. They all bore the same sad looks. Even Marshmallow looked a bit upset. She kneeled down to the snowman's level.

"Believe me when I say that I don't want to leave. You all have been so kind to me. But I have to go back my family, and I suppose I've been away from home long enough.

"But...we'll miss you."

"I'll miss you all too," Anna hugged the snowman.

The princess got back on her feet and looked at Elsa's eye level. Anna gave Elsa the spare mittens & bonett to her.

"Won't you be cold?" Elsa asked.

"I can't be seen with these, otherwise they'll get suspicious. They'll probably have spares. Thank you again for all you've done for me."

"Will I see you again?"

For a moment, Anna didn't answer. She knew that when she returned home, it'll probably be a long time before she could ride out in the woods on her own.

"I hope so," she answered, though unsure if she was telling the truth or not. "I have to go now."

The residents of the ice palace all watch Anna as she made her way to the grand doors and opened them. Before stepping out, she turned back and gave a wave.

"Goodbye, everyone. Thank you again."

She then went out and the door closed. Not a single word was said. Elsa kept her eyes on the door. Her face looked as she was about to burst into tears.

"Elsa?" Olaf called," Are you-?"

"I need to be alone for a few hours."

Elsa quickly turned around and made her way to the foyer stairs. Olaf tried to follow her but was stopped by Marshmallow's big hand. _"Leave her be."_ He said to Olaf as they all watch Elsa walked to her room.

Elsa had made it to her bedroom and shut the door. She had leaned her back against it. Snow started to fall in the room heavily. This had gone on for the next minutes. Elsa stood in the same spot as snowflakes still fell. And then, the snowflakes froze in the midair, looking as if the snowfall was frozen in time. Elsa slid down onto the floor, back still against the door. She closed her eyes as a lone tear fell from her eye, before wrapping her arms around her chest, as if she were hugging herself, and burying her head between her legs.

For the only friend she had ever known was now gone. Perhaps for good.

* * *

Meanwhile, Anna was making her way south of The North Mountain. She was shivering cold and her hands were ice cold. Though she had her reasons. In order to make it look convincing that she had been surviving on her own in the wilderness, she had buried her hands in a pile of snow for a short period of time. Not to mention, she had also put small patches of dirt on her face and her dress. She hopes it would be enough to convince them.

After putting on her rouse, she walked in the direction to where the snowgies found Kristoff and perhaps the royal guard. So far, she hasn't seen anyone.

 _"I swear, they better not have already lef-."_

Anna's trail of thought was interrupted by the sounds of bushes rattling. Remembering what had happened last time, Anna pulled out the knife Elsa had given her. She slowly walked over to the bush, both hands on the knife sticking in front of her. Just as she was about look in, something jumped out and knocked her to the ground. When she looked up she saw a happy face reindeer standing over her.

"Sven?" The only response the reindeer gave when he licked her face several times. "Ok! Ok! Ok! Ok! You found me! Sven, calm down!" Once the reindeer seized his licking, Anna got to her feet and petted the animal. "I missed you too."

"Sven!" A familiar voice called out. "Did you find someth-?"Emerging from the other side was Kristoff, who stopped dead in his tracks once he saw…"Anna?"

"Hey...Kristoff," Anna greeted. "How are you?"

The ice harvester went over to her and hugged her tightly. "How am I?! Are you alright? By god, your skin is ice cold!"

"I'm okay. Really I am," Anna assured. "Um, you're kinda hugging me a little too tight."

"Sorry," Kristoff pulled back. "I was worried about you. I was afraid that you were…"

"Hey, you're not going to get rid of me that easily," Anna attempted at a joke.

Kristoff gave a light chuckle. "Wow. You spent a few days alone in the cold wilderness and you're cracking jokes right now."

"Well, you know me. So is it just you or…"

"I'm not alone. The captain of the royal guard and several others are here. I volunteer to scout ahead while they rested. Seems like I made the right choice."

"Where are they?"

"They're not far. I'll take you to them, and well take you back home."

"Home...that sounds nice."

"Here, you could use these." Reaching into his satchel, he got out a spare coat. He even gave her his hat. "You can also ride on Sven. I figure you deserve a rest."

"Thanks."

Kristoff helped Anna onto his animal companion. The reindeer followed his friend with Anna on his back. What they didn't notice was Anna taking one last glance at The North Mountain. While she was happy to be heading home, another part of her felt emptiness. That feeling grew the farther she went away from the mountain

* * *

On the outskirts of Arendelle lied a house with a windmill next to it. Not far from the little home was the forested hills. Outside of the house three children, 2 girls and a boy, are currently playing in the snow while their parents were inside. As they played, the boy, who was the youngest of his siblings, noticed something in the distance.

"Hey guys, aren't those soldiers?"

"Where, Thomas?" His older sister asked.

"Over there," he pointed.

The eldest sister looked in the direction where her brother was pointing. He was indeed right. There were soldiers walking down the hill. She figures it was the search party for the missing princess probably returning to rest. Just as she was about to assure that to her younger siblings, she took notice of a figure who was riding among the soldiers. This figure looked almost like the…

"The princess…" the girl muttered.

"The what, Lucy?" her little sister asked.

"They found the princess! Princess Anna is okay!"

The older child ran into the house, followed by her siblings. Once in, the children had excitedly told their parents what they saw. The parents went outside to see for themselves. They soon realized that their children were speaking the truth.

"By God," the children's father muttered. "That really is the princess."

"I can't believe it," followed by the mother.

Just then, the father quickly put on a coat and a hat.

"Dear, what are you doing?"

"I must spread the word that the princess has been found," the father said before he dashed off.

The father ran down to the town below. On his face lied the most joyous look one can have ever seen. A nearby group of citizens looked at him in confusion. Once he started shouting the news, that realized why he was such in a mood.

"Everyone! They found Princess Anna! The princess is okay!"

Soon, the word quickly spread among the town. Pretty soon, the citizens were scrambling to prepare to welcome home their now found princess. Meanwhile, a member of the town guard had just heard the good news. He abandoned his post and ran straight towards the castle.

* * *

"I'm going back out to find Anna."

"Agdar, you've been at it for two days and you barely ate and slept!"

Inside the king's study of the castle, Agdar was about to rejoin the search for Anna. Fearing for his physical and mental health, Idun had tried to convince to stay and rest.

"Are you suggesting that I stay in here while our daughter is still out there?!" he said.

"I want her found as much you do, but you're no help to Anna if you're weak!" Idun stated. "I know the soldiers will find something."

"So you're saying that I just sit here and wait for the good news to just waltz right in here, right?"

At that very moment, the door to the study suddenly slammed open. At the door was Kai, who looked as if he ran here.

"Kai?" Agdar said.

"You're majesties...I have...good news," the servant said as he took breaths.

"What news?" Idun asked.

"Princess Anna has been found. She's alive."

* * *

Being back in Arendelle was a happy sight for Anna to see. She rode with Kristoff as they rode through town. Surrounding them were the captain and the soldiers. Anna could still recall the reactions when Kristoff brought her to them. Captain Storstrand was surprised and relieved. Several of the soldiers were very happy. One soldier that Anna recalled being named Johnson, was standing with the most speechless expression she had ever seen.

Now they were all back in Arendelle. The welcoming community was unexpected. Of course, she had expected such a thing, but she didn't think news of her return would spread so fast. Citizens greeted her as she and her group walked through town.

"Welcome back Princess Anna!"

"We are glad to see you safe!"

"Welcome home your highness!"

"We knew you were alright!"

"Thank you. Thank you, everyone," Anna said, albeit a little uncomfortable with all the attention.

"They're just happy to see you," Kristoff said. "They'll probably won't be the last to do so."

Anna knew what her friend meant by that. "How are they?"

"They're doing alright, but we're also worried like crazy. Your dad especially." Kristoff paused for a moment. "Anna...he knows."

"I figured as much," Anna sighed.

"You're not upset?"

"No. I understand why you did it, but it doesn't matter now. I suppose he would've found out one way or another."

The ride through town had still remained silent. In normal circumstances, Kristoff would be worried about that since Anna was usually a chatterbox. However, given what Anna had been through, he thought it was understandable for her to be silent. Though unknown to him, she was silent for different reasons.

Soon the castle came into view. Storstrand yelled for the castle guards to open the gates. Each moment that went by, Anna tense for the moment she will see her parents again. They had walked into the courtyard. The soldiers got off their horses, while Kristoff picked up Anna bridal style and got off of Sven.

"Kristoff, you don't have too. I can still walk," Anna assured.

"Oh, sorry," Kristoff gently placed her on the ground, while also hiding his blush. "I was just…"

"It's fine."

"Princess!"

The two friends turned around and saw the two servants, Kai & Gerda. They quickly ran over to them.

"Are you alright?" Gerda asked.

"I'm fine," Anna replied.

"We need to bring her inside. And get her a warm meal and a drink," Kristoff said.

"I'll handle that," Kai said.

The servants and ice harvester walked with Anna into the castle. They soon made it to the Grand Hall, which lied a huge staircase. Several servants who were nearby started to crowd the princess, asking many questions.

"Calm down!" Kristoff cut them off. "I'm sure she'll answer your questions later. Right now, she needs some space."

The servants did what they told and started to back off.

"Thanks," Anna said.

Soon after, Anna sat down on the steps of the staircase, with Kristoff sitting alongside her. Kai had gone to get the food, and Gerda left to inform Anna's parents of her return. This left the two friends alone as they waited. Anna was nervous about seeing her parents again and Kristoff can clearly see that.

"Hey," Kristoff patted her shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"I'm so going to get it," Anna said.

"Maybe they'll be so happy to see you that they'll forget about it?"

"Somehow, I doubt that."

From there one, there was not much spoken between the two friends. This had lingered on for several minutes. Kristoff stayed by her side, even though she insisted that he didn't have to. Being the good friend he was, he didn't leave. Having Kristoff here made her homecoming more comforting.

The sound of several footsteps was heard. Both friends look to see the two people who had awaiting this moment. It was Agdar & Idun standing the very middle of the grand staircase. Just by looking at them, Anna could tell how they've been for the past few days. Her mother looked slightly tired. Her father looked slightly worse as he had bags under his eyes. It looks as if he hadn't properly slept for days.

Anna quickly stood to her feet. "Hey, guys..." Her mother quickly went down the steps and hugged her tightly.

"Are you okay?" Idun asked.

"I'm fine, mama." Anna pulled away from her mother. "A little cold, but fine." Turning her head, she saw her father not far behind. "Hi, Papa. Listen I-" Anna didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, for her father suddenly hugged her.

"Whatever you're going to say, we'll talk about that later," Agdar said. "Right now, I'm just happy that you're back safe and sound."

Anna agreed to that and return the hug to her father. Idun soon rejoined the hugging as well. For a long while, they royal family stood hugging each other. For a moment, nothing else mattered to them. Except that they were back together as a family again.

* * *

 **So Anna has returned home to Arendelle and is back with her parents. Leaving Elsa back in the ice palace.**

 **I always found it a bit odd that Kristoff and Hans officially have last names** **(Bjorgman & Westergaard) yet Anna & Elsa didn't. So until Disney gives official last names for the sisters, the Arendelle royal family's last name will be 'Eriksen' in this story.**

 **Anna is totally a weapon enthusiast, no one can tell me otherwise. Kudos to you guys if you caught the Brother Bear & Toy Story 2 reference. ****Also, the windmill house here is the same one seen in _Olaf's Frozen Adventure_ (Its seen during the _That Time of Year_ sequence when Olaf gets thrown well...on the windmill).**

 **We'll see more of the royal family in the next chapter (I'll give you guys a hint: _Life's Too Short)._**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**

 **P.S If you guys are into The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario, you're welcome to check out my two other fics, _Path of Destiny_ (Zelda) and _Rosalina's Brother_ (Mario).**


	17. Life's Too Short

**Life's Too Short**

As soon after the royal family had their little reunion, Anna was immediately treated with the utmost care. First, she had gotten the warm meal, along with a glass of hot chocolate. After the meal, she was checked out by the royal doctor, despite telling him she was ok. However, her father wanted to sure. Once she was cleared by the doctor, she was then given a warm bath, to which she spent almost an hour before being put on new clean clothes.

Once Anna had been taken care of, it soon came to the inevitable confrontation with her parents. Earlier, Kristoff had left to take care of his own business so he wasn't with Anna. The family was currently in the throne room and it was just them. Her parents had asked her questions about what happened. She told them how she wasn't paying attention and accidentally ended up in the wolves territory, which led to her being chased by them and getting separated from her horse.

"What happened after that?" Agdar asked.

"I tried to walk back here," Anna answered. "But I ended up getting more lost. The blizzard just made that worst."

"How did you survived that storm?" Idun asked.

For the moment, Anna didn't say anything. Ruling monarchs or not, she knew it was wrong to lie to her parents. But she couldn't let them know about Elsa. Throughout the years, she had heard stories about how several kingdoms have persecuted people with magic and dubbed it as witchcraft. One example she can recall were stories about Arendelle's close trade partner Weselton, or WeaselTown as she secretly likes to call it, had once held witch trials long ago in which many of the accused ended up executed. While Arendelle hasn't had a history like that, she didn't know how her parents felt about magic but didn't want to risk Elsa being hunted down as a witch.

"I found a cave and hid in it." Anna decided to attempt to move on from the topic. "I guess you can say I got lucky. Really lucky."

 _"Please just stick with that."_

Her parents just looked at each other for a moment. They looked as if they weren't sure what to say.

"I suppose that's good to hear," Agdar said. "But why didn't you come back after the storm ended?"

With that question, Anna mentally panicked. Quickly, she composed of reasons why she didn't come back soon after. Then she gave her answer.

"During the storm, I tripped over something very hard. My ankle was sore and I wasn't sure if it was sprained or not. Since I didn't want to risk potentially making it worse, I stayed in the cave until I was sure it was better," Anna explained.

That wasn't a total lie. Her sore ankle is what had prevented her from leaving Elsa's ice palace. But it was still partly a lie since Anna had made the choice to remain with Elsa from the days after the storm. She decided to quickly finish up her survival story.

"I stayed there until earlier today when I figured it was fine. I walked until Kristoff & Sven found me. Well, technically Sven found me first, but you guys get the idea. And here I am, safe & sound." Anna paused for a moment. "But...I suppose you want to get to the elephant in the room."

Anna paused as she lowered her head. She braced herself for the scolding her father would give. To her surprise, all she got was her father patting her shoulder.

"Like I said earlier, we can discuss that later," Agdar said as his daughter looked up at him. "For right now, we're just happy you're back."

Anna gave a small smile, as she hugged her father again. As they had their embrace, Idun watched them. The queen was surprised how...lightly her husband was taking it in. Like Anna, she had expected Agdar to give her the scolding of the century. Granted, it was justifiable given that Anna disobeyed him, but she was afraid that he would go overboard.

"How about this?" Agdar brought up. "From the rest of the night, nothing else matters. It's just going to be me, your mother, and you. How does that sound?"

"I'm okay with that," Anna said. "After all, you've both spend many days being so unsure, but now that I'm back you both can rest assure."

"Well it was a rough few days, but now there's nothing to fear. All it matters right now that you're back here."

"We've been worried about you for so long," Idun added. "So let's forget who's right."

"And forget who's wrong," Agdar said.

"Okay!" All three said in unison.

"Why don't we talk, now that you're back in this court?" Idun said. " 'Cause life's too short!"

The whole family was familiar with that phrase. Like Agdar did, Idun had her own mantra, _'Life's Too Short'_. One she had valued since she was a young age. It was a lesson her parents had taught her and her sisters. A lesson she had passed down to her family.

"To always feel restricted and closed when there's things to be explored," Anna responded.

"Life's too short."

"To not be where you belong, a place where you'll always be loved," Agdar added.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Anna followed.

"I never understood, but now I do."

"Life's too short to miss out a family like you."

Idun looked at the happy sight of her husband & daughter. She thought perhaps for once, they would not clash and just be happy.

"So how's my horse?" Anna asked her father.

"Oh, he's fine," Agdar responded.

"Do you think he'll be able to ride soon? Especially far distances."

"I'm not sure. Why do you a-?" Agdar stopped himself as a sudden realization came to him. "You're not serious, are you?"

"What?" Anna said. "I was wondering if he is so that-"

"That you go back out there. That's your story's ending!"

"Sort of!" Anna called out to her father as he turned away. "It's just like it was, except that we're more understanding ."

"But that's been your plan?" Agdar quickly turned back. "To go against my command?"

"Whoa, whoa!" Idun quickly chimed in an attempt stop where she'll fear this conversation will go. "Don't get upset, let's get back to the subject on hand."

"Alright! I think that's enough of this exchange," Ignoring Idun's words, Agdar gently grabbed Anna's shoulders and started to walk her to the throne room door away from the queen. "But hopefully we're all on the same page." He stopped halfway in the throne room and let go of Anna for a moment. "Okay! Now that's all done, let's make some new rules, that we won't abort! Thank you!"

"Wait!" Idun called out as her husband.

 _"Please don't do this Agdar. You were doing so well."_

"Cause life's too short-"

"There you go!" Anna cut off her father. Idun stopped in her tracks and watched the entire exchange. "Those rules you'd love to shove to my face! You did well there for a spell but now you're back in the same place." As she went on, Agdar made a small eye roll and face away from his daughter. This had prompted Anna to make her point clear. "Lecture me all you want, but I think it can be applied that your behavior most of the time is a hundred percent unjustified!"

Idun made a small gasp as Anna said those words to Agdar. While Anna didn't see it, her father had a shocked yet hurt expression on his face. However, he quickly suppressed those feelings and face his daughter once again.

"You don't know what you're talking about because that's not true! You're a child who doesn't listen!" Agdar retorted.

"What is it with you?!" Anna said, trying to hide the hurt feeling in her voice.

"I swear! I'm through with taking your outrageous family support!" Father & daughter said as they walked away and their backsides faced each other. "HA! Life's too short!"

"To let you treat me as a fragile doll," Anna said as she turned to face her fathers back. "Like you have throughout my entire childhood. Life's too short!"

Agdar rubbed his temple as he tried to block her words out. Even though they were true. He quickly turned to face his daughter.

"To listen to a reckless girl who doesn't understand what I do is for her own good."

"You don't know…" Anna started.

"You have no idea…" followed by Agdar.

"What I've been through!" Both Anna & Agdar said at the same time. "Because of/To protect you!"

It was at that moment Idun realizes that this conversation was going nowhere. It had kept on getting worse. This was not the first time she had witnessed her husband & daughter clash. Most of the time she let them she would let them blow off steam and only interfered if it was getting out of hand. This time, however, was different. This was perhaps the worst she had ever seen them. As they started walking towards each other, it was then the queen realized that she had to put a stop to it now. With two people with fiery personalities such as Agdar & Anna, it was a recipe for disaster.

"Life's too short to waste another minute," Agdar said.

"Life's too short to even let you shut it!" Anna retorted.

"Life's too sho-!" They both had said at once.

"ENOUGH!" A loud shout ceased the argument. The pair's eyes look to see Idun taking deep breaths. "It would see that maybe we're just a little tired from the past few days." The queen spoke after a period of silence.

Agdar's expression turned to what Anna like to call his 'king face'. It was a very neutral expression. One that he wore during meetings in order to hide his emotions. It sometimes made Anna uneasy.

"Perhaps you're right dear," Agdar agreed. "I think we all need some...rest. We will finish this in the morning."

"No, we'll finish it now."

"Anna, as the king, you are ordered to listen-"

"No! You listen!" Anna once again cut off her father. "My whole life you do these things because it's supposedly for my own good. Did you ever once consider asking myself what's good for me? NO! You go around telling me what to do, what not to do. Claiming it to be best for me! Well, guess what? They're not!"

"Anna, what do you know what's best for you?"

"More than you! All you know is being paranoid!"

Those words had stung the king like a hornet. For a moment, Agdar's king face was replaced with somewhat of a somber one, but he still retained his king face."...This conversation is done. Now, excuse me." He said as he regained his composure before walking away.

"Dear, I don't think you-" Idun started as Agdar was walking.

"Well, I am!" Agdar quickly retorted as he resumed his walking. "Goodnight."

"Papa, no! No, wait!" Anna grabbed her father's arm. "I'm not done!"

Agdar quickly turned around. "Let go of my arm!"

"Papa please, please! I can't take this anymore!"

The king stopped in his tracks and turned to face his daughter. The look on Anna's face was one that ached Agdar's heart. On the face of his daughter was a look of sadness, desperation, and confusion.

Despite what Anna may believe, Agdar did not enjoy putting his daughter through this. For a moment, he wanted to tell her why. He wanted to tell her about her lost sister. How he lost her from his safe embrace and the pain he had felt in the months after. But once again, the voice in his head told him otherwise and he remained silent. He couldn't bear to tell her. The pain was just too much for him. She was not ready to know yet.

"It's for the best," Agdar replied to Anna, while also trying not to choke up.

Anna's expression just dampened with a mixture of sadness & disappointment. Her grip on her father's arm loosen and it was soon released. Not bearing to see the disheartening look on her face any longer, Agdar turned around. Crossing his arms and taking a deep breath, he started walking away again. He had to keep mentally remind himself that she'll understand one day. As he walked, he recited his mantra repeatedly in his head to keep his emotions in check.

 _Conceal, don't feel._

However, Anna just had about enough. This was the one moment where she can finally learn why her father treats her the way he does. That opportunity was walking away from her. She wanted, no, she needed to know. Now.

"Why on earth are you like this?" Anna shouted.

"Enough, Anna..." Agdar commanded.

 _Conceal, don't feel._

However, Anna did not intend to stop.

"No! Why? Why do you shield me from the world?"

 _Conceal, don't feel._

"Why are you scared of the world?"

 _Conceal, don't fe-_

"What are YOU so afraid of?!"

And then, it happened. Something in the king snapped and he turned around. The storm building up within him had finally raged out as he did.

"I WON'T LOSE YOU TOO!"

The room had gone silent. It was so quiet you could hear the smallest pin drop. The only sound heard was Agdar's heavy breathing after his outburst. Anna had just stood in her spot in a confused state. The words her father had practically shouted repeated in her head over and over. Idun just looked at her husband with wide eyes, wondering if he realized what he had just said.

"L-lose me too?" Anna broke the silence after a short period. "What do you mean 'lose me too'?"

It was then the king realized what he had said. He started breathing rapidly as panic built up within him. He quickly looked over at his wife, who was just staring at him.

"Papa?" The king heard his daughter say.

Agdar took another look at Anna, who was still in a very confused state. In his head, he contemplated many things to respond. However, he would not use any responses. For he did something he was no stranger too. He ran.

"Papa?!" Anna called out as her father ran out of the throne room. "Papa, where are you going?"

The princess was also about to run after her father. She still needed answers. However, a gentle grip on her shoulder had prevented her from doing so.

"Let him go," Anna heard her mother's firm but soft voice say.

"But I...he...what's going on mama?"

For a moment, the queen was hesitant before answering. "Anna...whatever questions you may have right now, we'll answer them tomorrow. I promise."

Before Anna could respond, Idun left the throne room as quickly as her husband did. This left an alone, and an even more confused Anna. Idun quickly walked through the hallway when she had run into Gerda.

"Your majesty!" The servant exclaimed. "Is everything alright? I just saw the king running down here."

 _"No, it isn't."_ The queen wanted to say.

"Everything is fine Gerda. Nothing I can't handle." Idun responded. "Could you & Kai take care of Anna's needs for the rest of the evening, please?"

"Of course my queen."

After saying her thanks, Idun resumed her walking. She needed to find her husband quickly. Fortunately, she just has several ideas on where he might be. And she didn't care if he was shutting out or not. She needed to talk to him.

 _"So much for a family reunion…"_ Idun thought sadly.

* * *

The moment he had entered his study, Agdar took that moment to compose himself. Words can't even describe how he was feeling at this moment. He paced back and forward in the room, rapidly, while also constantly changing the positions of his arms, from being crossed over his chest to having both hands on his head. Many thoughts were scrambling through his head as he tried to calm himself.

 _"Get it together. Control it. Don't feel. Don't. Feel."_

A knock heard on the door interrupted his train of thought, however.

"I don't want to be bothered right now," Agdar almost shouted.

The sound of the door opening and closing was heard. Agdar grew more irritated, assuming it was just an overly concerned servant. Turning around it was not a servant that had entered.

"Idun?" he muttered. "What are you?"

His wife slammed the door shut. "You and I need to talk."

* * *

 **So if you guys figured out the hint, congrats! This chapter was inspired by the deleted song _Life's Too Short_ (once again, included lyrics)and 'The Party is Over' scene from the movie. They're two versions of the song (A soundtrack  & storyboard version, both of which can be found on YouTube) so I think either version can work well here.**

 **Now we all know that in the film, Agdar & Idun weren't exactly...100% good parents. By that I mean they had good intentions and loved their daughters, yet they ended up negatively affecting them. But that's what I like about them. They're both complex humans that make human mistakes. Not villains like some people like to see and its a shame some people see them that way. I honestly believe that they're the most misunderstood characters in the movie. You can dislike them for the decisions they made, but they're definitely no Gothel nor Frollo. Its like the line from the movie.**

 _ **"People make bad choices when they're mad, scared, or stressed."**_

 **While this is an AU fic, I would think after what happened to Elsa, Agdar (I mostly believe Agdar was somewhat of the instigator in the film) would probably still have those traits from the film. Doing things he deemed for the best, but still ended up negativity affect his daughter. In this case, Anna.**

 **I always imagine Idun as the family peacekeeper. ' _A Frozen Heart'_ (which, as far as I'm concern, is canon to the movie)** **stated that whenever Agdar was about to lose his temper, she always managed to calm him down. Though I also see her as some who puts her foot down when she needs too (or basically she goes I-DUN with your shit...yeah bad joke). Maybe even helping him realize his mistakes. Heck the novel even stated that she and Agdar were going to end Elsa's isolation once they came back from their trip (and we all know why that didn't happen...). We don't know what made them come to that, but I like to think it was Idun's doing.**

 **Anyways, I didn't mean to go on a rant here. I just needed to get that off my chest. I hope you guys still enjoyed the chapter though.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading. (Also, Happy Valentines Day).**

 **P.s I have decided to add 'Kristoff' to the character tag.**


	18. Once Upon A December

**Once Upon A December**

Several hours had passed on since Anna had left the ice palace. All that time Elsa had stayed in her room. At one point, Elsa had moved from her door to the side of her bed. The frozen snowflakes from her small storm were now gone and the room was in a normal state. However, that didn't mean Elsa wasn't better. She was still thinking about Anna.

She missed her. She didn't really believe it, but she really missed Anna. In the few days she was here, Elsa had grown fond of her. Sometimes she had to remind herself that. But in the end, it didn't change the fact that Anna was now gone, leaving Elsa once again with her solitude life.

Without warning, she hastily stood up from her bed and left the room. She walked down the stairs and entered the foyer. There she went down the foyer stairs and went over to the cave. It was still in the same state as it was several hours before. The fireplace had died down, leaving nothing but small fire specs. Elsa walked over to the fireplace and used her magic to fully put it out. From the corner of her eye, she noticed something near the stone bed. Once she went over to get a closer look, she realized what the object was.

It was the ice figure of Anna, the one Elsa made when she revealed her powers to the girl. It was lying on the ground in a manner that it was treated in good care. Elsa leaned down and picked up the figurine. For several moments, she just stood in place as she looked at her handiwork. Elsa stroke her finger on what resembled Anna's face. On the figurine lied a bright smile. That was a reminder to Elsa of the happy and nice personality that Anna had. For a moment, Elsa couldn't help but smile herself as she reminisces.

Her smile quickly vanished as she quickly reminded herself that Anna was gone. With the figurine still in her hand, she left the cave. She made her way back to the foyer once again. After walking up the foyer stairs, she stood on the middle of the platform and looked around. Without Anna, this place just seems so smaller. Not only that she just felt...empty, as if a part of her had left.

Turning away from the foyer, Elsa went back up to her room. There, she placed the figurine on her desk. The sun outside reflected on the figurine, giving off a small shine on the head. Elsa continues to stare at the figurine for several moments.

"ELSA!" a loud voice shouted causing Elsa to jump and give a small shriek. "Elsa, are you in here?!"

"What's wrong Olaf?" Elsa asked as she witnessed Olaf hastily entering the room.

"Have you seen Slush?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"He went out several hours ago, but he's been gone for too long!"

"Okay, calm down. Easy now." Elsa attempted to assure the frantic snowman. "How long ago did he leave?"

"Just shortly after you went into your room. Y'know after Anna left."

For a brief moment, Elsa stared at the floor. Her train of thought worked as she tried to put the pieces together. Until a startling revelation came to her.

"He went after Anna…" Elsa muttered.

"What are we going to do?" Olaf asked. "Poor guy is out there all alone."

"Relax. I'll go out and find him. You stay here in case he comes back."

"Do you know where to look?"

"I might have an idea where he might've gone too."

Elsa quickly changed into her old blue dress and grabbed her cloak. She then left her room and went to look for Marshmallow outside. Once she did manage to find him, she explained the situation about Slush and brought up where he might've gone too.

 _"Are you sure you want to do this?"_ Marshmallow asked. _"Maybe we should wait to see if he'll come back."_

"Believe me, he won't. Which is why I need to find him."

 _"As you wish."_

With that, Elsa climbed upon Marshmallow's back. The snow creature then started running. Elsa looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was setting. She had to find Slush soon. Fortunately, she knows where to go.

She was going to Arendelle.

* * *

By the time Elsa had arrived, night had fallen. The streets of Arendelle were deserted as many had turned in for the day. This was perfect for Elsa. She can look around the town without getting spotted, especially since she was alone. Even with the deserted snow-covered streets, Marshmallow would bring too much attention. Despite his objections, Elsa had to leave him in the woods outside of the town.

Despite her caution, Elsa took this opportunity to look around for a bit. This is the first time she had ever stepped foot in Arendelle. It would seem it was everything as Anna had told her. The town did look lovely, though she doesn't intend to find out how the people are. Despite the streets were mostly empty, Elsa did spot a few individuals out. She took note that most of them were dressed similarly. When one looked to be coming her way at one point she quickly hid in an alley. Once the coast seemed to be clear, Elsa walked out back to the street. As soon as she did, she felt something on her foot.

Looking down, Elsa could see a weird shape outline in the buried snow. Bending down, she picked up the object and wiped the remaining snow off. The object was small enough to fit her palm and felt to be made out of wood. On top of it was a red ribbon of some sort that looked to been broken off. The most interesting thing about this object was its shape. It looked to be a goat.

Elsa slowly started walking again with the wooden goat in her hand. Something about this goat just seemed familiar to her. As she stared at the wooden goat, faint images came to her head. People in a place like this looked happy. They were putting up unique things on homes such as these, some of which Elsa could make out to be angel wings. There were also snow all around and it was cold as if it was December. And for a brief moment, she heard what sounded like a bell in the background.

The images stopped as Elsa seized walking. Taking one more look at the goat, she put it away in her dress. She decided to continue looking around. She recalled the images as she did. From the corner of her eye, Elsa noticed a clearing of some sort. She had walked over and soon ended up in a place where there was an overhead.

As Elsa walked through the clearing, that is when she noticed the castle. It was huge! Connecting the castle to the rest of the town was a stone bridge. Slowly, Elsa walked across it. On her left side was the fjord. Never in her life had she ever seen this much body of water. Yet at the same time, it felt like it wasn't the first time she had seen something like this before. Her sightseeing of the fjord had stopped when almost ran into huge gates.

 _"This is where Anna must live."_

Instinctively, Elsa placed her hand on the gates, small frost formed on the door from beneath her hand. A nagging voice within her head told her to open those doors, to go in and see Anna. But soon, Elsa walked back several feet away from the massive gates. As she did, she noticed some banners hanging from the outer walls of the castle. These banners had purple on one half and green on the other. In the center of the banner looked to be a flower of some sort. Once again, familiarity had screamed into her head.

 _You know that symbol. You know this castle. You know this place._

"This place...It's like I've been here before." Elsa turned away from the massive castle and started walking across the bridge slowly.

"Prancing goats. Angel wings. Things I seem to remember." Elsa picked up her pace and continue walking further from the castle and back to the town. "And a bell someone rings, once upon a December. Someone holds me safe and warm. People play among a silver storm." At the end of the bridge, Elsa stopped in her place. "Figures dancing gracefully across my memory."

Just then, new kinds of images appeared except these ones were clearer and felt more real. All around, Elsa saw images of people. The imaginary people were walking, talking, and dancing around. Some of the figures seemingly waved to her. Oddly enough, Elsa waved back to them. She brought her attention back to the dancing figures. Elsa found herself quickly making her way to the figures and joined in the dancing, twirling around like an excited child.

"Someone holds me safe and warm. People play among a silver storm." Two figures approached her. One appeared to be a large man with a bald spot on the top of his head. Another looked to a thin woman with slightly grey hair. They both went over to Elsa and look as if they were tending to her for a moment before bowing and walking away. "Figures dancing gracefully across my memory."

Elsa twirled around once again and she found herself in a different dress. It was a teal colored dress with some black across her chest and arms. It had some designs that Elsa found pretty. Her hair looked to tied up in a bun, much more elegant than how she usually does it. She soon resumed dancing with the figures.

"Far away, long ago. Glowing dim as an ember. Things my heart used to know. Things it yearns to remember."

The figures stopped dancing, as did Elsa. She stood as she saw the figures slowly fade. As she watches, she felt a firm but also soft grip on her shoulders from behind. She couldn't see who it was, but their touch felt warm and comforting. It was there for a few moments before they too faded away

"And a bell someone rings...Once upon a December..."

Elsa slowly fell to her knees as she slowly came back to reality. The last of the imaginary figures faded away. Her teal dress was soon gone she was back to her old blue one, along with having her hair back in a braid. The images were now fully gone and Elsa was brought back to reality.

The same reality she has been living for years.

 _CLUNK!_

That noise spooked Elsa. In the direction of noise were some boxes. Elsa slowly rose to her feet and cautiously made her way to the boxes. She moved the boxes away and was relieved to see what was underneath them. It was Slush.

 _"Elsa!"_ The snowgie cheerfully cried as he jumped onto her.

"Slush!" Elsa exclaimed. "Are you alright? Do you have any idea how worried I was?! What were you thinking coming out here by yourself? You know the rules!"

 _"I'm sorry."_ A look of guilt was seen on Slush's face.

Elsa pulled the snowgie into a hug. "I'm just happy you're okay, but don't you dare do that ever again, understand?" Slush nodded his head. "Good...Now let's go back home." She rose to her feet, with Slush in her hand, and walked through the clearing. At the edge, she stopped. Elsa turned her head to get one more look at the huge castle.

 _"Elsa? Are you alright?"_ Slush spoke up.

"Oh, I'm fine." Elsa snapped out of her trance. "Let's go. Marshmallow is waiting for us in the woods."

The ice wielder resumed her walking and attempt to leave the town as fast as she could. As she walked, she thought about the images she had seen. Were they just her imagination, or perhaps some sort of event she had been too? Whatever they were, Elsa decided that they were probably just weird tricks her mind gave. Soon, she Slush found Marshmallow and the 3 promptly made the journey to return to their home.

* * *

 **I apologize if this seems like filler.** **The next chapter should cut back to royal family.** **Anyways...**

 **So Elsa makes a stop in Arendelle and some interesting things happen. Hmm...**

 **This chapter is dedicated to the song _Once Upon a December_ from the 1997 film _Anastasia_. I figure it would be fitting for the story since that movie gave me the idea to write this fic (Once again, up to you guys if Elsa's singing or not).**

 **I have a quick question: If put in more flashbacks, would you guys be okay if they were in the Italics or normal font? Especially if they take up most of a chapter?**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**

 **P.S. For those of you urging me to keep updating, keep in mind I have life outside of fanfiction. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I'm in college and have a job so they often get in the way. Plus writing isn't exactly easy. I take my time when it comes to writing chapters so they stay consistent to the story. That is all, thank you.**


	19. A Family Secret

**A Family Secret**

 _February_ _21st, 1836_

The next morning at the castle was a slow one for Anna. She was very tired. Yesterday was just so exhausting for her. The previous night she couldn't even fall asleep as her mind with plagued with many questions. It didn't even help when Kai & Gerda refused to answer them as well. Anna was sitting in the dining hall, alone. The feeling deja vu swept through as she ate her breakfast.

Once she had finished, Anna left the dining room and wandered the halls aimlessly, contemplating what to do to keep her distracted. Hide in her room, talk to the paintings, or even go to the library? All those she quickly brushed aside. Anna then remembered her horse and decided to check on him. She made her way out in the courtyard and went into the stables where she soon found Kjekk.

"Hey boy. You miss me?" Kjekk nuzzled her, to which Anna giggled and petted his snout in response. "Don't blame yourself. I'm okay now. I'm glad you got away from those wolves."

"Didn't expect to see you here," a familiar voice said.

Turning her head, Anna saw Kristoff along with Sven, who was eating a small hay pile.

"Oh, Kristoff! Am I happy to see you right now."

"I'm gonna guess things didn't go well with your folks."

"You could say that…"

"Oh boy, how long did you get grounded for? Two, three weeks? A month?"

"Actually...I don't know if I am."

Kristoff can only give her a weird look, not sure what Anna meant by that statement. This lead to Anna explaining the events that had occurred since she last saw her. This had also included the intense argument she had with her father. She brought up how her father looked to be finally understanding to going back to his overprotective paranoia.

"...Every time I think he's gotten past this stupid phase, he always proves me wrong!" Anna exclaimed while waving her arms. "Its like he thinks I'm incapable of taking care of myself. Like I'm still a helpless baby that needs to be constantly watched over. Sometimes I feel like he doesn't like me for who I am."

"I'm sure it's not like that," Kristoff tried to assure her.

Anna scoffed at that statement.

"Really? 'Cause whenever I tried to get him to understand, he hardly ever listens. And when he does he always has this bothered look, like the chefs got his meal wrong." Anna took one of her braids and place the bottom tip of it on her upper lip, imitating a mustache. " 'Excuse me, cook? I'm afraid you brought me the wrong offspring.' " She said, mimicking her father's voice and posture in a sarcastic matter. " 'I wanted an extra quiet heir with sophisticated grace. Extra obedience and regalness on the side. This here? This is a yapping chicken bone!' "

At that last sentence, Anna lets go of her braid and plump down in a pile of hay. Kristoff & Sven slowly went over to her side. The former sat next to her and place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Look, Anna..." he started. "I'm may consider your father an acquaintance, but I know he doesn't think of you that way."

"And what makes say that?"

 **"He's your father. He loves you no matter what,"** Sven brought up.

"Sven's right, y'know," Kristoff said.

"Well, papa sure has a weird way of showing that love," Anna stated.

Silence fell over to the group. Wanting to break it, Kristoff decided to further the conversation on what happened last night.

"So...What happened after that?"

"That's when things got...weird," Anna spoke after a small period of silence. "Mama stopped the argument and my father attempted to walk out. I stood my ground, finally telling him how I felt about his methods that he said were good for me. But that didn't work and he still attempted to walk away from the conversation. There I finally told him that I had enough of it. I guess in my frustration, I just flat out asked what was so he afraid of…" Anna stopped for a moment, but Kristoff could tell that she was going to say something else.

"And then…what?"

"He said that he wouldn't lose me too," Anna answered. "After that, he looked as if he said something I wasn't supposed to hear and just ran off. Mama soon followed him, but not before saying that what questions I have would be answered tomorrow. Haven't seen both of them since."

"That's...interesting."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's just that, I overheard some guards in the group I was in searching for you mention something about a loss of some sort that had struck your family long ago."

Anna's eyes had widened a bit at that revelation as she looks at her friend. Never in her life had she ever heard of something like that occurring in her family.

"What kind of loss?"

"I don't know. I assumed it was gossip so I just tuned them out. But now that I think about it, it could explain why your dad is the way he is."

Anna reflected on her friend's words. Did some sort of tragedy happen in her family long ago? If so, why didn't her parents tell her? More importantly, could it also explain why her father is the way he is? It would certainly explain some things. The question is if its true or not.

"Princess Anna?" A familiar voice brought the pair's attention.

"Oh hi, Kai." Anna got to her feet as she saw Kai standing in the doorway of the stalls. "What brings you here?"

"Your parents wish to see you," Kai answered. "Immediately."

* * *

 _The previous night…_

 _"You and I need to talk," Idun said as she slammed the door in her husband's study._

 _"Idun please, just leave me alone," Agdar retorted._

 _"Oh no. You are not going to hide away from your problems, again."_

 _"I can certainly try."_

 _"Really? Cause that worked out so well for you before, didn't it?!" Idun added that statement with sarcasm, but Agdar could sense the truth in her voice. "Now I can clearly see Anna gets her stubbornness from your side of the family."_

 _Agdar didn't bother responding to her statement. Instead, he just sat down on the couch. Neither of them said a word._

 _"What I am doing wrong, Idun?" He spoke up after a while. "I give freedom, I lose Elsa. I gave some restrictions, I almost lose Anna. I honestly don't know what to do."_

 _Idun walked over and sat next to her husband. She placed her hand on his shoulder and another on his arm._

 _"There's one thing you can do."_

 _"What?"_

 _"We have to tell Anna the truth."_

 _Agdar's eyes widen as if she had said something crazy. Like she had confessed to wanting to commit regicide._

 _"No..." Agdar broke the silence._

 _"And why not?" Idun argued. "We've should've told her about this by now. It's been 15 years, Adgar. After what happened the past few days, Anna definitely deserves to know."_

 _"It's not whether or not Anna will be able to handle it…"_

 _"Then what is it?"_

 _"Don't you get it? I can't...I can't tell her."_

 _"You can't or you won't?"_

 _"I-I don't know."_

 _"Yes, you do. Please Agdar, just tell me why. Please don't shut me out again."_

 _Agdar looks at his wife. It was clear that she did not intend to stop until he gave an answer. And she called him the stubborn feisty pants._

 _"You want to know the truth?" Agdar said with some somberness. Idun nodded in response. "It hurts," he choked up. "Every time I even think about what happened, it hurts. When my mother and my father died it hurt, but I manage to move on. This kind of hurt is different. It never goes away. I hate feeling like this."_

 _Idun watched her husband close his eyes a look away. She could tell that he was trying not to cry. That did not stop the tears from escaping his closed eyes. She placed her hand on his cheek, wiping the tear away with her thumb. Her husband faced her, her hand still on his face._

 _"Dear…" Idun started. "I understand how much it hurts you. It hurts me too. But hiding it from Anna won't help. You know how much she wonders why you do this. She should at least understand why. You & I both know the time would come."_

 _"I...I know. Ever time I consider telling her, I keep telling myself that maybe we don't have too." He paused for a moment. "But you're right. I have been holding it off for so long. She needs to know. "_

 _"So does that mean?"_

 _"Yes...tomorrow we tell Anna."_

* * *

In front of Anna was the closed door of her father's study. Once again, deja vu went through her. The last time she was summoned had led to all of the events of the past several days. And like before, she had felt nervous. Summoning all her courage, she knocked on the door.

"It's open."

Taking a breath, Anna opened the door. Like last time, both of her parents were in. Unlike last time, they weren't at her father's desk with their appearance of monarchs. They both were sitting on the couch across from the fireplace without their professional royal appearance. Only the appearance of her parents.

"Hey guys," Anna greeted as she walked over to them.

"Hello sweetheart," Agdar greeted. "Why don't you pull up a chair?"

Anna compiled as she moved one of the lone chairs in the room closer to the couch. Once she did that, she sat down. After which no one said anything to each other.

"Sooooooo….how are you both doing?" Anna attempted to break the awkward silence.

"We're doing fine, thank you," Idun responded. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Oh, yes I did."

"That's good."

Silence had once again entered the room. No one was sure who to speak first.

"Kai said you both wanted to speak to me?" Anna brought up.

"Yes. We do," Agdar repiled.

"Is this about last night?"

"Somewhat related, but not entirely," Idun responded.

"This is something...we should've told you a long time ago," Agdar said.

"Okay, what is it?" Anna asked.

Before they answered her question, Anna noticed her parent's change in their expressions. They looked as if they were...heartbroken, her father especially.

"Anna," Agdar started. "Have you ever hear of any...rumors of some sort?"

"Didn't you always tell me to never listen to them because they tend to be nothing but big piles of bullshit?"

"Anna! Language!" Idun exclaimed.

"Those were papa's words, not mine!" Anna lifted her arms up in defense.

"They were, were they?" Idun gave a small glare at her husband, who just shifted awkwardly in his spot.

Agdar gave a small cough before continuing on the subject.

"Um, anyways. My point is that have heard anything like those? Specifically, ones related to our family?"

"Not really…" Anna paused before she remembered her small conversation with Kristoff. "Aside that earlier, Kristoff did tell me he overheard some of the troops talking about a loss that happened while they were searching for me. I'm not sure if it's true or not."

"That may as well be true."

"It is…?" Her parents both nodded.

Neither of her parents said anything. They both looked at each for a moment. Each one gave a slight nod to one another.

"It happened a few years after your cousin Rapunzel was kidnapped, and before you were born," Agdar started.

"What happened?"

"There was another member of this family," Idun said. "Her name was Elsa."

 _"Elsa…?"_ Anna thought. _"Huh, that's sure a coincidence."_

"Who was she?" Anna asked.

"She…"

Agdar stopped as he was hesitant to finish that sentence. He felt Idun place her hand on his back and slowly rubbed it comfortably. From the corner of his eye, he saw the pleading look in his wife's own eyes. In other situations, she would speak up for him, but this was something he needed to do. Agdar knew this. He fought with the voice of doubt in his head.

 _"No. You can't hold it back anymore. Turn away and slam that door. Let it go."_

"Papa?" Agdar heard Anna speak up. "Who was she?"

"...She was your older sister."

* * *

 _15 years ago…(February 16th, 1821)_

 _Agdar had been walking down the hallway. It was the middle of the night and his pregnant wife was having her cravings for chocolate again. He offered to go get them so she could still rest._

 _As he walked, he passed by Elsa's bedroom door and decided to check on her. He peeked his head in her room to find the little girl sleeping peacefully in her bed. Cuddled in her arm was her stuffed puffin, Sir Jorgenbjorgen. The cute sight brought a smile on Agdar's face. Remembering his task, he closed the door, went back into the hallway and made his way._

 _Unaware that in the next few minutes his entire world would change forever._

 _After getting a small box of chocolates from the kitchen, Agdar made his way back. He had returned to the same hallway where Elsa's bedroom laid. As he approached heard some shuffling coming from her bedroom. For the moment he figures that Elsa had decided to have one of her 'late night play times' again._

 _That is until he heard the loud bang. The sound was loud enough to have echoed off the walls. That must've indicated how big the impact the bang was. There was a silence that quickly followed, which made Agdar more concerned. Fearing that Elsa might've hurt herself, he quickly rushed to her bedroom and opened her door. What he saw was something he had never anticipated. It was a horrifying scene._

 _The bed that Agdar saw Elsa sleeping on just moments ago was now empty. The window was wide open, with the wind from the outside blowing on the curtains. On the floor not too far from the bed was the stuffed puffin Elsa had been cuddling. The only thing that Agdar could do was scream out his daughter's name. So loud that the kingdom of Corona could hear it._

* * *

Agdar finished the story. Both he and Idun stared at Anna, waiting for some sort of reaction. Anna had...no words. In fact, she didn't how she should respond. Especially at a revelation such as this. Was this all real?

"I really had a sister…?" Anna asked.

"Yes," her father replied.

It was real. Anna had a sister. She had a sister! A sister that was taken just months before she was born. This revelation was indeed truly shocking. And for all these years her parents spoke nothing of her.

"Why didn't you two tell me? Why would you keep this from me?" Anna asked, but her parents did not answer. "Did you see me as some sort of a replacement for her? A spare?! Is that why you never told me to begin with?!"

"It was nothing like that!" Agdar said in defense.

"Still, didn't you two think this was something I should have known before? Did I not deserve to know this?"

"Of course you did," Idun said.

"Then why? Why didn't you tell me?!"

Neither of her parents gave an answer. All sorts of emotions were just running too high for Anna. Her parent's silence didn't help as well. This information was a lot to take in at once. Finally, Anna decided she couldn't sort them out in the study.

"I...I need some time alone..."

Anna didn't hear what her parents said as she quickly left the study and dashed into the hallway. Servants and guards that were walking gave concerned looks, but she ignored them. As she ran, the same questions kept repeating itself in her head.

 _"Mama. Papa...Why didn't you tell me?"_

* * *

 **Probably not my best chapter, but I figure most of you guys could use one, especially after this site wasn't working the other day. I kinda feel bad for ending it off like this, but hey I can't help but be a little evil sometimes *evil laugh*.**

 **So...Anna now knows about her lost sister (who by coincidence is named Elsa...hmm) and is understandably shocked and a little angry. I probably made her a bit OOC, but hey its an AU. Not everything's the same in AU's. Plus, she's 14 at this point so a mix of teenage emotions probably doesn't help. There'll hopefully be more insight on the next chapter.**

 **Speaking of which, if you guys have been paying attention, you might've noticed I mentioned something as 'The Incident' several times through the fic. Well you'll find what's that about in the next chapter...(Hint: It may kinda explore a darker side of certain king that we know. That's all I'm saying).**

 **And I hope you guys like that *notsosubtle* How To Train Your Dragon reference.**

 **Quick hypothetical question: If I write a fic that solely stars Agdar & Idun (be it cannon, or AU) would you guys definitely read it, even if it doesn't have Anna & Elsa? Not saying I am writing something like that, but I'm curious.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	20. A New Understanding

**A New Understanding**

Anna walked through the castle halls quickly trying to find a place to clear her head. The revelations of having a sister was just too much. She needed to find a play to sort out her emotions. Before she realized, Anna found herself in the castle gardens. Seeing that no one else out in the garden she decided to stay there. The garden was covered in snow and the air was cold, but Anna didn't bother to get a jacket. Her mind was in other places to even care about that right now. She walked through the gardens looking for a secluded spot. Soon she manages to find a small bench and sat at it. After that she was just...thinking.

Everything her parents had told kept swarming her mind. Though she already knew it, she kept telling herself that she had a sister. She really couldn't believe it but she really did have a sister.

A gentle cold breeze brushed against her. It was nothing compared to the swirling storm in her. Several forms of emotions scrambled within Anna. She was angry & sad. Angry that her parents kept information that was no doubt vital for her to know. But also sad for her sister that had been stolen. That was an event that she could never imagine her parents went through. Anna felt sadness for her mother and...father.

A majority of her life, Anna had believed her father nothing as an overly paranoid person. She believed that he did this for no reason. Now she realized that he didn't do it without reason.

He had a reason.

Anna was angry at herself. How could she had been so ignorant? Never once she considered a reasoning for her father's behavior. The times she got annoyed at him, called him out on it and last night when she called him paranoid. Looking back she felt...awful. While she knew that way he handled it was still wrong, she could now see why. And she was to blind to see it. She remembered purposely go against his rules just to spite him several times, including going beyond the hills. It had gotten to the point where she couldn't tell if he was serious or not, and it almost got her killed. Her father probably thinks she was an ungrateful brat.

 _"Sadness storms within me like the snow."_ Anna thought. _"I've frozen out the only family I'll ever know. There's no way I can win, but I wish that things had been different long ago."_

"Life's too short…" Anna whispered to herself as she lowered to her head. "To be such an oblivious fool. So ignorant that I wouldn't see. Life's too short to constantly do what I want that I only ever thought of me. I wish I saw things clearly. I guess I'm just not the sort. Now all I know is life's too short."

Tears flow up out of Anna's eyes. She started crying, though not loud enough for anyone to hear. She was crying for her parents who went through such as horrible event, herself for not even trying to be understanding, and for the sister she'll never know. Unknown to her, someone had been watching her.

Agdar & Idun had gone to look for Anna after she had left his study. Asking some servants, they both manage to find Anna in the gardens.

"Could you give me a few minutes alone with her?" Agdar asked his wife before he headed out.

While she was a bit hesitant, Idun gave an understanding nod. Agdar walked around in the gardens looking for his daughter. He manages to find her while she was talking to herself and started crying. In all honesty, Agdar didn't blame her. The guilt he had heard in her voice was pretty much clear. But he knew very well that she wasn't to blame.

Not wanting to see her cry anymore, Agdar decided to make his presence known.

"Anna?"

"Oh god!" Anna jumped, quickly wiping her eyes. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough."

Anna turned her head away, while also slightly blushing from the embarrassment.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" Agdar asked.

"I don't." Anna scooted to one side of the bench to make room. Agdar sat at the clear side of the bench.

They both sat in a painfully awkward silence. Either wasn't sure who to speak first. Noticing that Anna didn't have a coat on, Agdar took off his black jacket and wrapped around her.

"Figure we both don't want you getting a cold."

"What about you?" Anna asked.

"I'm the king, I don't get colds," Agdar joked, to which his daughter giggled.

"Well, thanks." Anna went quiet for a brief moment. "Listen papa...I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For what I said last night, and for everything else. If I had known-"

"No, Anna," Agdar interrupted. "You don't have to apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. You made me see the truth last night. It was harsh, but it was the truth. I didn't blame you for doing what you did."

"...I said those things because I thought you were just doing it because you were paranoid. Most of the stuff I did through my life, including going beyond the hill, I did it because I couldn't tell if what you claimed was true. Heck, sometimes I did it just to spite you! But everything you did, though you were extreme at times, you had good reasons why. Up until today, I never once considered the possibility that something tragic had happened. I've been nothing but an inconsiderate brat."

"You weren't, Anna. If anything, it's my fault because...I was too weak to tell you."

Anna just stared at him with confusion in her eyes. Agdar took a deep breath before continuing on.

"One of the reasons why we never told you about your sister was because...It hurts. It's much different from simple cuts or your loved ones passing away. They just eventually heal up and move on. This type of pain never does. It sticks with you. For years, I tried to conceal it as much as possible because I hated feeling like this. I wanted to be free of this pain, but I couldn't."

Agdar went silent after speaking. Anna could see the distraught look on his face. She had never seen her father this upset before.

"But what I did was still wrong," Anna spoke up. "I broke your rules and I had no excuse. I'm sorry."

Anna sat still with her head down and hands on her lap, waiting to hear her father's response.

"I admit, I was rather initially angry when I found out. But after the past few days, I couldn't stay mad that long."

"So I'm not getting punished then?"

"Oh, you still are. Just not as much."

"Can't blame me for trying."

Both gave a lighthearted chuckle. After which, Anna decided to ask her own question, just for confirmation of her assumption.

"Were you really protective of me for all those years because of...what happened?"

"Yes," Agdar answered. "After Elsa's disappearance, I was determined to keep you safe." Agdar lifted his hand lightly touched Anna's cheek. "The night you were born, I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I wanted to give you the life that Elsa never got." His hand then moved away from her cheek. "And I almost failed both of those."

"You didn't fail anything. What happened out there was my fault. I made the decision to go beyond the hill."

"I drove you out there. I could've lost you."

"But you didn't."

For a moment, Agdar didn't respond to that statement.

"I know you just want to keep me safe, papa. Took me a while to understand why you want to. But I'm not a little girl anymore. I can handle myself. I mean, I still came back, didn't I?"

"Well, you're right about that. It's was relieving to hear you handled yourself well in the days you were alone."

The mention of the word 'alone', Anna mentally frowned at herself. She felt wrong for lying to her father. The only reason she was still alive was because of the other Elsa but she wasn't going to tell him about her. Speaking of the name...

"Papa...What was Elsa like?"

Agdar looked as if he was caught off guard a bit. Seeing his change of expression, Anna actually was going to tell him that he didn't have to say anything. But he spoke up before she could even speak.

"She was perhaps the sweetest girl you'll ever know. She was also smart for her young age. While she did love me and your mother, she was fond of me more. Everywhere I went, even to a meeting, Elsa always followed me. When she was a baby, I always manage to calm her down when your mother needed my help. We were practically inseparable. Even on my worst days, she somehow managed to bring a smile to my face. Your mother often told me that we both were two peas in a pod."

At the last sentence, Agdar trailed it off. A small smile appeared on his face before it shrank.

"You really did love her, didn't you papa?" Anna asked.

"Yes, I did. Even though she's gone and have you, your mother and I still love her."

"And we love you just the same." Both turned their heads to see Idun walking towards kneeled down next to where Agdar was sitting. "We never once considered you as a replacement or a spare, Anna. Could you ever forgive us for not telling you?"

"While I do wish you told me sooner, I can understand why you didn't. I forgive both of you."

Her parents gave relieved smiles.

"Can I ask you two something?"

"What is it, sweetheart?" Idun asked.

"When was Elsa taken?"

"It was about...4 months before you were born."

"The day before you got lost was the 15th anniversary of when she was taken," Agdar added.

Fifteen years...Fifteen years ago her sister was taken. Fifteen years her parents had spent suffering and dealing with all of that...alone.

"You guys defiantly should've told me sooner."

"Why?" Idun asked.

"So you both didn't have to suffer in silence."

Those words had taken the monarchs by surprise. Yet, at the same time, were touched by those words.

"We didn't want to put that burden you," Agdar said. "That was another reason we never said anything. We wanted you to be happy and not let that event dampen your life. I almost let it do it to me…"

"Agdar…" Idun attempted to place her hand on his arm. However, he quickly waved it off.

"No. She needs to know this too."

"Know what?" Anna asked.

It took a moment for Agdar to answer.

"After what happened, I spent every moment I had looking for her. I tried everything I could think of, but nothing helped. After two months, I had to end the searches since nothing turned up. After that I...I was different."

"Different, how?"

"The worst kind."

At those words, Anna went silent as she continues to listen.

"I shut everyone that cared about me out, including your mother. Whenever they tried to help me, I wouldn't say a word. I barely ate and slept. When I did sleep, I had nightmares. Horrible nightmares. There were even brief moments when I even considered ending it all just like that, but never went through with it…"

Agdar stopped himself for a moment as he tried not to choke up. Idun rubbed his arm. She didn't say anything, but Anna could that her mother's eyes telling him that he didn't have to keep going. But Agdar continued on.

"When I did talk to others, it wasn't any better. I was a different man. So different that you would probably think I was someone else that just stole my appearance. I became cold and little aggressive."

"Did you…" Anna asked before Agdar continued.

"No. I didn't hit anyone. But the words I would sometimes say were just as bad. Anyway, after a while, I tried holding down my emotions."

"Why would you do that?"

"Conceal, don't feel. It was a method I would often use for important matters. I used it back then, and just a few days ago. My father taught me it, saying that a good leader must sometimes hide their emotions for the benefit of the kingdom."

"That sounds rather unhealthy."

"It was what I was taught. I thought it would help me...but I was wrong. So wrong. All it did was build a storm inside. All it needed was the perfect opportunity to rage out. And one day it did when we found out the truth about Elsa's kidnapping."

* * *

 _15 years ago...(May 1821)._

 _"Is this true?" Idun asked._

 _King Agdar and Queen Idun were doing their own business when they had been told they had to go to the throne room for their captain had news for them. They both couldn't help but sit still in shock. They couldn't believe their ears when the captain brought disturbing news._

 _"I'm afraid so, your majesty," the captain replied. "It would seem the kidnap of Princess Elsa was an inside job. Done by one of our own guardsmen."_

 _"Who was he?"_

 _"His name is John Stonewall. He had been in our service for several years. According to him, he had met the perpetrators several weeks before your daughter's capture and conspired with them. It would explain how the kidnappers manage to get in and out of the castle undetected."_

 _"Have you questioned him?"_

 _"We have. However, he claims that he has no idea where your daughter's captors took her."_

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _"He had insisted very strongly, my queen. It would seem he may as well be telling the truth."_

 _The pregnant queen face grew grim. Her hope of finding Elsa had left just as she had regained it. They were right back to square one._

 _"We'll continue to further question him, your majesties." The captain brought up._

 _"Very well. You may go, captain," Idun said._

 _The captain bowed to his rulers before leaving the throne room. This left no one but the monarchs themselves. Idun looked over at her husband. The entire time, Agdar did not say a word. This had frightened Idun._

 _"Agdar...Please say something."_

 _"What is there to say?" Agdar responded rather coldly._

 _"There's still hope. Maybe the guard is still hiding something."_

 _Agdar didn't respond._

 _"I need to be alone."_

 _Before she could even think about what to say, Agdar had already left the room._

* * *

"A guard was seriously involved?!" Anna asked.

"Unfortunately," Idun said. "From what we knew, he apparently knew the kidnappers for several weeks. He insisted that he had no idea where they took or what they did to her. That he was just a co-conspirator."

"He was more than just a guard," Agdar added. "He used to patrol near Elsa's bedroom."

"That's horrible. Why would someone want to take a small child? Much less plot with the kidnappers?"

"There are some people in the world that are just...monsters. They're dark, selfish and cruel. If they find even the slightest ray of sunshine they destroy it. I should know."

"How, papa?"

"Because I almost became a monster."

* * *

 _15 years ago (several hours later)..._

 _The sound of rapid knocking aroused Idun out of her sleep. After the revelation in the throne room and Agdar's departure, she had returned to the royal chambers for some peace & quiet. Not to mention, being heavily pregnant during these times didn't help matters as well. She didn't remember falling asleep though. Another rapid knocking took place, followed by a voice._

 _"Your majesty, are you in here?"_

 _Idun got up from the bed. Taking a quick look around, she realized there hasn't been a sign that Agdar had at least been in the room. Brushing that aside, the queen went to the door. Opening it, she found a guard at the doorway. There was a look of fear in his eyes._

 _"What's going on?"_

 _"It's the traitor Stonewall." The guard said. "He's escaped and he's running loose in the castle! I'm ordered to get you to a secure location until he's apprehended."_

 _"Where's my husband?" Idun asked._

 _"I don't know your majes-" Before he finished, Idun quickly went into the hallways not listening to the guard's words. "Milady, it's not safe!"_

 _Idun continued to ignore his words and continued down the hall rather quickly. It was late at night, meaning the halls were dark. Despite that, Idun manages to find her way to the destination she had in mind. Finally, she had arrived at the door of her husband's study. One thing she had noticed that the door was already opened. With caution, she entered the room. A breath of relief followed was she saw that no one was in._

 _"My queen, you must not run off like that. Especially when a prisoner is on the lose!" The guard had followed her the whole way._

 _However, Idun did not listen to his words. Instead, she was focused on the huge desk Agdar would typically do his work. Instead of documents that were on the desk, something else had taken their place. There were several empty bottles._

 _Moving closer to the desk, she picked up one of the bottles to examine it. A noticeable scent came out of it. It smelt of alcohol. Agdar wasn't much of a drinker, though there were occasions where he would drink this sort of stuff, that wasn't wine, whenever he had either a very stressful or very bad day, which pretty much every day for the past month was like. Very rarely did he ever drink to the point of intoxication. When he did those times Idun could recall were amusing & humorous at best or stupid at worst. But given the current situation, Idun didn't think he was in any of those states._

 _Another thing Idun took notice that just made her more nervous. Under his desk was where Agdar would usually keep his sword. And a drawer in his desk was opened. That drawer is where he had usually kept his pistol. Both of which were gone from their holding places._

 _Now the queen was no longer nervous. She was terrified. The empty bottles on the desk. The missing weapons. All that plus his mental state...They were all the perfect ingredients for a catastrophe._

 _"We need to find Agdar, now!" Idun shouted._

 _"I'm sure we'll find your husband before Stonewall can get to him," The guard assured._

 _"It's not that I'm worried about." The guard only looked confused at Idun's statement. "I'm worried about what happens if Agdar finds him!"_

* * *

 _Agdar was in his study when word got out that the prisoner escaped. It took a little while, but he manages to find him. The traitor soldier, Stonewall, had made his way on the rocky shore that surrounded the castle, looking to find a way to escape. It was dark outside, with the moon being the only source of light. For the moment, Agdar's presence was unknown to him._

 _The scent of alcohol surrounded the king himself but didn't care. His hair was messy, his face had a stubble from the lack of shaving, and was just overall a mess and he didn't care. He was somewhat drunk, yet he still didn't care. He cared about nothing at this moment. Nothing but the man responsible for Elsa's, his little snowflake, disappearance. Slowly, he approached the man, drawing his pistol as well._

 _"That's far enough..." Agdar had spoken, his voice colder than ice._

 _Stonewall quickly turned around. He jumped once he saw the sight of the king pointing a pistol at him. Even though he looked to be not afraid, Agdar could see the fear in his eyes. The king took several steps closer to him._

 _As he had gotten closer, a guard, Storstrand, found his way outside. Not far he saw the escaped prisoner and the king facing each other._

 _"They're out here!" Storstrand shouted._

 _Not too long after, Kai & Gerda emerged behind him. They did not expect to see Agdar and the traitor __soldier_ _in the same place. Nonetheless, see the king point his gun at him. Before either of the 3 did something, they decided to watch the confrontation, thinking that things wouldn't escalate._

 _"Where did they take her?" Agdar asked in a cold voice._

 _"Wh-Wha?" Stonewall stuttered._

 _"Don't you 'what' me! Where did they take my daughter?! The very princess you betrayed!"_

 _"I-I don't know."_

 _"You're lying! Why else would you be trying to escape?! Unless you're too much of a coward to face the consequences of your treasonous actions!"_

 _"I swear, I don't know. I only knew those guys for several weeks. They offered me money if I helped them get in and out of the castle undetected. They never told me where they took or what they were going to do with her. For all I know, she's probably dead now!"_

 _Words did not leave Agdar's mouth. This was the confirmation that he had hoped to never hear. And yet he had just heard the words. It was pretty much clear now: Elsa is gone. Never again would he ever see her smile. Never again would he heard the joy of her laughter. Never will he ever watch her grow up. Never will she ever meet her sibling._

 _And the reason why was right in front of him._

 _"So you really don't know then?" Agdar spoke, in which Stonewall nodded in response. "Then I guess nothing is holding me back from doing this..."_

 _Before anyone could react, the sound of a gunshot had echoed. This was followed by Stonewall shouting out in pain and clutching his bloodied shoulder. Gerda had let out a small scream, while Kai & Storstrand could only stand in shock. For they had just witnessed their king shoot someone._

 _Something inside Agdar had awoken. Something that had been growing for the past several months. It had been asleep until this very moment. Now the beast was fully awakened._

 _While Stonewall was too focused on his wound, Agdar took that opportunity to approach him. Putting away his pistol, he pushed the man down hard on the ground. Stonewall had landed on his wounded shoulder, but Agdar didn't give a damn about it. The king lowered himself on the ground and started to punch Stonewall in the face repeatedly. Each punch harder than the last._

 _As the punches kept going on, blood was spewing all over Agdar's knuckles. But the blood was not his as evidence to the bloodied face on Stonewall. It was at that moment that the 2 servants and guard made a horrible realization: Agdar had intended to finish off Stonewall, permanently. Guilty as he was for the loss of Elsa, this was not a way to deal with this._

 _Quickly, Kai & Storstrand rushed over to Agdar and grabbed him by his arms. Using all of their strength, they struggled to try to pull him away from the battered man. All the while pleading to the king to stop._

 _"Don't do this, your majesty!" Kai said._

 _"He's not worth it!" Followed by Storstrand._

 _But Agdar ignored their words. His attention was still focused on Stonewall, who manage to get up and tried to walk away. Just seeing him move had only increased the king's madness._

 _"Let me go!" Agdar thrashed around like a trapped animal trying escaping_

 _"You're better than this!" Kai shouted. "Think this through!"_

 _"LET! ME! GO! **NOW!** "_

 _Somehow, Agdar had managed to hit both of the men restraining him. Hard enough to knock them over. Gerda shouted for her husband and rushed to his side. Now freed from their grip, Agdar pulled out his pistol again. Another shot rang out, with Stonewall being hit in the leg this time. With a newfound assurance that the man won't be escaping, Agdar intended to finish the job. But as he pulled the trigger again, there wasn't a shot this time. After a getting no shots several other times, Agdar tossed the pistol on the ground and cursed himself for not checking for the bullets. He then resorted to plan B._

 _Gerda looked in horror as she saw the king draw out his sword as he approached the man. She yelled at him to stop several times. Even though they were a bit dazed, Kai and Storstrand still attempted to reason with Agdar from their position._

 _Despite their best efforts, their words did not sway Agdar. The world was tuned out as he put all his focus on Stonewall. The man was on his front trying to clench his shoulder & leg wound while also crawling away slowly, but he did not get far. Agdar went over to his side, sword tight around his grip. He kicked the man's side, knocking him over on his back. The king placed a foot on the man's chest, pushing his weight down on it hard._

 _"Please…" Stonewall begged, fear clear in his eyes. "Have mercy…"_

 _Mercy? How dare he ask for mercy?! Especially when he didn't give any to Elsa! Just hearing those words further infuriated Agdar. Well, the man will soon be quiet._

 _Slowly, the king raised his sword high above his own head. All he needs to do is make one swing to give the man the punishment he deserves. One quick swing and then it'll be done. Agdar was about to bring down the sword..._

 _"AGDAR NO!"_

 _A familiar feminine voice screamed out his name as a firm but gentle grip was felt around his sword held hand. Turning his head, he saw the sight of his wife._

 _It didn't take long for Idun to find her husband. And when she did, she was horrified at the site of Agdar shooting and then beating Stonewall to a bloody pulp, and watched Kai, Gerda, and Storstrand's failed attempts to stop him. Once she saw Agdar pull out his sword, Idun knew right there and then she had to intervene before Agdar would do something he would regret for the rest of his life._

 _Both husband and wife stared at each other. Idun's grip still around Agdar's wrist. She looked into his eyes and saw the fury in them. However, a mix of fear, worry, and sadness never left hers._

 _"Agdar...Please don't do this." Idun begged, eyes on the brink of tears. "This is not the way and you know that. This is not who you are. You're not a killer. I want the man I know back. Please, come back."_

 _It would seem Idun's words had got through to him, seeing as Agdar's eyes soften. He took this moment to look at the damage he caused, lowering his sword as he did. Not far, he could see Gerda helping Kai to his feet. A cut was seen across his forehead. Storstrand looked to be clutching his side. All three were looking at him with concern, but they also looked a bit apprehensive._

 _Finally, Agdar turned to Stonewall. Taking his foot off the man's chest, he looked over the wounds he had given him. Agdar's grip on his sword loosens to the point where a loud clang was heard. With the sword no longer in his hand, Idun released Agdar from her grip._

 _With both of his hands now free, Agdar looked at them. Blood covered his knuckles and fingers. Blood that belonged to Stonewall's battered face._

 _All rational thought came back the king, along with a pang of guilt that hit him like a brick wall. In the past, Agdar had killed before, but those were for lawful executions he ordered on criminals. This was different. He had almost unlawfully killed a man with his own hands. While Stonewall was not innocent by all measures, he was still defenseless and did not instigate the fight. Agdar, the king, a man who was supposed to be an example for the people, including children, almost murdered a man in cold blood. He didn't act like a king. Instead, he became the opposite of such..._

 _...A monster._

 _"Oh god…" Agdar choked up, still looking at his blood covered, trembling hands. His legs shook till they gave out, causing him to land on the ground on his knees. "What have I done…?"_

 _A gentle touch was felt on his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Idun kneeling next to him. Idun moved her hand from his shoulder to his cheek. Agdar looked into her blue eyes. The look in her eyes had a gentleness in them._

 _Without warning, Idun wrapped her arms around Agdar, pulling him into a hug. It took him a moment before Agdar returned the gesture. He buried his head into her neck. As the tears fell from his eyes, he muttered the same words over and over as he sobbed._

 _"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."_

 _"Shhh..." Idun rubbed his head reassuringly. "Everything's okay now."_

 _They had both remained in their spot until more guards came and apprehended Stonewall. They wondered why he was so beaten up. Many had come to the conclusion that the king was trying to stop him and they ended up in a brawl. Little did they knew that wasn't the case._

 _Those who had witnessed Agdar's outburst never let that memory leave them. It had forever became known to them as 'The Incident'._

* * *

Anna didn't say anything once her parents finished the story. She couldn't really believe that her father, someone she knows to be so kind and gentle, had almost murdered a man. It was truly shocking.

"I understand if you don't believe it, but every word I said was true," Agdar said. "If you think of me of some sort monster, I wouldn't blame you if you did…"

Agdar turned away from Anna. Any moment he was expecting her to run off again, or for her to start yelling at him. The longer the silence, the bigger his hope for Anna to shout, scream, or say anything. Instead, she did something that he did not anticipate. She hugged him.

"You're not a monster." While still shocked at this revelation, Anna knows very well that her father was nothing like that. She could tell the amount of regret in his voice

It was enough for Agdar. Those words just made him feel...better. He returned the hug to his daughter. At the same time, he gave a quick glance to Idun who just smiled. Soon, she to join in on the group hug.

* * *

 **I admit this chapter did make me a bit...emotional when writing it. I even had to take several breaks in order to clear my head.**

 **We finally had an explanation on the infamous event know as 'The Incident'. Might've been inspired to write this part from a certain scene from Big Hero 6. (I even had an earworm that played parts of _Silent Sparrow_ from the BH6 soundtrack while writing this). So yeah, Agdar had a total 'Baymax, Destroy' moment.**

 **I could imagine that if someone was somewhat responsible for the loss of someone I love, I probably be pissed off at them. And maybe want revenge. It is natural for humans to desire such a thing. However, there are still lines to be crossed. If we cross that line we be no better than them. Agdar was lucky that Idun had stopped him.**

 **I know Anna's reaction to 'The Incident' may be a bit underwhelming, but considering that in the movie she still loved Elsa, even though the latter nearly killed her twice I think it wouldn't be to OOC for her to be that forgiving.**

 **Oh I manage to sneak in the _"Life's Too Short_ _Reprise"_ in here. **

**On a minor note, I sure hope everyone had a happy Easter. Also, my birthday is coming up (4/4). I'll be turning 21 years old (same age as Elsa. FTW!).**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	21. Questions and an Answer

**Questions and an Answer**

 _15 years ago...(The next day after 'The Incident')_

 _It was almost noon. By that point, many had been out and about doing their daily activities. Except for Agdar, who was laying in bed in his chambers. He was on the left side of the bed, facing the doors of the balcony. A small headache plagued him, most likely a small hangover from the alcohol. Of course, a headache that was the least of his worries. To put it bluntly, he was a huge fucking mess. Events from last night still played through his head. Over and over. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, it would still play out._

 _The sound of the door opening was heard. Lifting up his head a bit, Agdar saw Idun holding a cup of water. She walked in and closed the door, giving the couple some privacy._

 _"Hey," Idun greeted. "I brought you some water."_

 _"T-thank you," Agdar replied as he fully sat up._

 _Idun walked to his side and gave him the glass of water. Agdar took the glass and drank the whole glass rather quickly before setting the now empty cup down._

 _"How are you feeling?" Idun asked, hoping the break the silence._

 _"Fine..." Agdar answered rather somberly._

 _Idun looked at her husband. In all the years she had known him, she had never seen Agdar in this state. He was always filled with confidence & bravery. Right now he looked so...broken & vulnerable. It honestly ached her heart just looking at him like this._

 _"The council said that they will handle your duties for however long you need to rest from your...fight last night," Idun bought up._

 _The royal council had been informed of the events of last night, with certain details being changed of course. The story Idun had told them was that Agdar tried to stop Stonewall from escaping, but they both gotten into a fight, while Kai and Storstrand also tried to help. The fight ended with Agdar shooting him in the arm leg as a last resort. It was a lie of course, but no one must never know the truth. Agdar didn't respond to that statement._

 _"Kai and Storstrand are doing alright. Kai's cut wasn't anything serious, and Storstrand's rib area was only bruised. I told them that you were sorry, but they said that they weren't mad. If anything, they don't blame you."_

 _Nothing still came out of Agdar's mouth. When it did, it wasn't anything Idun didn't expect, nor wanted to hear._

 _"I'm pathetic."_

 _"You're not," she assured him._

 _"Idun, look at me. I'm the king. A symbol to the people. I represent good moral and high esteem. Last night, I wasn't any of those things. I almost killed a man in a drunken rage, I'm laying bed with a hangover, and I'm emotionally crippled. I. Am. Pathetic."_

 _"You're anything but pathetic."_

 _"How can you still talk to me that, nonetheless look at me? Especially after how I acted for the past several months. You deserve better than a monster."_

 _"You're not a monster!" Idun almost shouted. "You were just angry and hurt. All you did was make a mistake. You're a good man, Agdar. I still love you because I know that person last night wasn't the real you. Tell me, would a monster feel regret for what he did, like you are right now?"_

 _No response of some sort came out of Agdar, much to Idun's disappointment. Suddenly, Idun let out a small grunt and she clenched her stomach. That immediately alerted Agdar._

 _"Are you alright?" He asked._

 _"I'm fine. It's just the baby," Idun assured as she rubbed her stomach a bit._

 _Agdar brought his attention to his wife's bump. It had looked to be full term, meaning she was due to give birth sometime next month. More guilt then washed over him. Here he is letting her care for him while it should be the other way around._

 _"You shouldn't do this," Agdar spoke up._

 _"Beg your pardon?"_

 _"You're my wife. I'm the one who should be taking care of you."_

 _"But you're also my husband. I take care of you when I need to."_

 _"You're with child."_

 _"Doesn't mean I'm incapable. Agdar, I know you like to do everything yourself, but you can't do it alone. Were suppose to look out for each other. No matter what, I'm always here for you."_

 _For a brief moment, silence fell over._

 _"Would you like to lay down?" Agdar asked._

 _"I would like that," Idun responded._

 _Agdar moved to the right side of the bed. Soon after, Idun slowly laid down on her back._

 _"Better?" Agdar spoke up._

 _"Much better," she replied._

 _Both gave small smiles to each other. Agdar moved a bit closer to his wife. Once again, he took notice of her baby bump._

 _"Do you mind if I…"_

 _"Of course dear." Idun knew what were his intentions were._

 _Agdar shifted himself near Idun's stomach area. Slowly, he placed his hand over her bump and rubbed it gently._

 _"Hello little one," Agdar started. "I know I haven't talked to you in a while. Your mama and I have been...going through a rough time. But we're doing alright now. I haven't forgotten you..."_

 _Before Agdar could continue, he paused. He looked away as he tried to think his words. Agdar brought his attention back to the bump._

 _"I just want to let you know that...I'm so sorry for neglecting you for the past few months. I was so distraught that I have forgotten what I had left. I hurt the ones that I cared about, and I almost destroyed myself. If Elsa were still here..." He stopped for a moment. "...she would've hated seeing me like this. It would've hurt her. Could you ever, ever forgive me?" Several tears trailed from Agdar's eyes as he spoken those final words._

 _Shortly after giving his little speech, he felt a small kick from inside Idun's baby bump. A small smile crept across his face._

 _"I think the baby accepted your apology." Idun placed her hand over his. "...And so have I."_

 _Agdar looked at his wife, who had her own tears as well. They both stared at each other before they wrapped themselves together. Laying back on the bed, they held each other tightly and kissed each other deeply as if they were reunited after being separated for a long period of time. In a way, it was true._

 _"Thank you, Idun," Agdar whispered as he pulled from the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers._

 _"I missed you…" Idun stroked his face, more tears streamed from her eyes. "I missed you so much."_

 _"Don't worry, love...I'm never leaving you or the baby ever again." Agdar stroked his wife's face before giving her another kiss._

* * *

Agdar was on the balcony that was connected to his & Idun's chambers. At the moment, he was understandably tired. It was around the early hours of the evening in Arendelle. It also signifies the drop in temperature at this time of the year. Of course, it didn't bother him that much. Even when his bare hands touched the cold railings and the air was cold enough to see his own breath. Living in Norway all his life does have that effect. He can't say the same for Idun since she was born & raised in Corona.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out here."

Agdar turned to see Idun standing at the balcony doorway, arms wrapped around herself.

"I'll be inside in a moment," Agdar assured her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just thinking."

Both rulers had spent most of the day telling Anna about her older sister. Whatever questions she had, they gladly answered. They had told Anna stories of Elsa's early life and every important detail about her.

All except one though.

"You told Anna everything about Elsa, but you didn't tell her about what Elsa could do?" Idun asked as she walked to her husband's side. "Why?"

"I feel as if that's a different topic to talk about. Besides, I don't think Anna would believe us if we did tell her about Elsa's...gift."

"You're not going to wait 15 years again to tell her, are you?" With those words it would sound like a joke, however, Idun was serious.

"Don't worry, I won't," Agdar said. "Once Anna gets the hang into her queen lessons, I'll take her to the Valley of the Living Rock. I suppose it would be a good place to help her understand. When that's handled I'll tell her then."

After their talk in the garden, the topic of Anna's queen lessons was brought up. To Agdar's surprise, Anna suggested that perhaps she'll start them after she turned 15. It would give her and Agdar time to prepare.

"Though it's not a visit I look forward too..." Agdar trailed off that sentence glumly.

Idun comfortably wrapped her hands around his arm.

"I'm sure they forgave you long ago. You said that they've been connected to your family for many, many years. Surely they won't let that event ruin it."

"Still...I'll cross that bridge when it comes. Plus, it gives me time to prepare. I hid the fact that Anna had a sister for 15 years. Surely hiding one more secret for several more months won't hurt. After that no more secrets. That I promise."

"If you say so…" Idun agreed, although reluctantly. For some reason, a nagging in her head told her that this wasn't a good idea. "We probably should go back in now." She brought up after feeling a cold breeze.

"I suppose that's a good idea."

Arms still hooked together, both rulers slowly walked back to their bedroom.

"I think you could use a warm bath," Idun suggested. "You've been out in the cold most of the day."

"It's not that cold."

"Your freezing hand says otherwise."

"You worry too much about me, love. I've told you this many times before, the cold doesn't bother me. My Viking ancestors used to face colder weather than this. I'm resistant to the cold. It's in my blood."

"So you often boasted about."

Both chuckled at that statement.

"But I guess a warm bath does sound nice. Maybe a glass of wine as well."

"Both do sound nice."

"Of course, you're welcome to join for either if you wish. Or both..."

"Agdar!" Idun replied playfully shocked and lightly blushed as they both stopped at the doorway inside of their room at that very moment.

"It's not a bad idea though, and you know it," Agdar had a sly smirk.

"I suppose," Idun admitted as gave a flustered smile.

Agdar chuckled as he closed the balcony doors. Whatever happened in the chambers that night remained strictly between the couple. They may be king & queen, but they're still husband & wife.

* * *

The chapel in the castle courtyard doesn't normally receive visitors at this time of the day, save for the bishop himself. There were, however, occasions where a lone individual would stop by the holy place. As of now, that individual was Princess Anna.

After spending most of the day talking to her parents, Anna managed to get time to herself. Once she got through talking about Elsa and her Queen duties, she was given her punishment. The punishment: she wasn't allowed to ride Kjekk for the rest of the winter. Normally, it wouldn't bother her since she would find other things to do. But it did because it presented her with a problem.

Ever since she left Ice Palace, Anna contemplated plans on when and how to see Elsa again. And she wasn't talking about a possibility. No, she vowed to see her again. She didn't like the idea of Elsa being all lonely up there, especially after everything they went through. The friendship Anna had formed with her is something she cannot overlook. With her horse out of commission and not wanting to expose her, Anna didn't know what else to do. So she figured she would go get her answers in a place where people go when they have no other options.

Anna entered the chapel. There was no one around, not even Bishop Ruud. Perhaps that was a good thing, she supposed. Entering the chapel, Anna walked down the aisle in between the pew benches. She walked to the very front on one side of benches and sat down. There, she placed her hands together, lowered her head, and started praying.

 _"Hey Lord, it's me, Anna. I know it's been a while since I last talked to you, but there's a reason why I'm here."_

Anna stopped her prayer and took this moment what to stay next. Once she had, she continued.

 _"I know that you can hear me and that you're always there. I know that you would listen to a princess's prayer. Yes, I know I'm of royal blood, I shouldn't ask for more. Still, I can't help but ask you to help someone I know. There's a girl who's named Elsa. I'm talking about the other one, not my sister. Boy, that's gonna get confusing...Anyway, I don't know what I'm going to do. I want to help her, but I don't know how without anyone knowing...for the time being."_

Anna paused again.

 _"Please Lord, I ask for nothing, I can get by. But I know somebody less lucky than I. God, help me find a way to help Elsa. Please."_

"Princess Anna?" a voice said that made her jump.

"Oh, hello, Bishop Ruud." Anna looked at the Bishop walking towards her.

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"You didn't. I was just about done. How you've been?"

"I've been fine, thank you. It is good to see you. I was worried about your well being when word got around that you were lost. I prayed for your safe return and looks like they've been answered."

"Thank you, Bishop. I'm doing alright now."

"Yet, you looked trouble. Is something on your mind, princess?"

"Something like that," Anna paused. "My parents told me about my sister."

"Ah, so they finally told you about Elsa?"

"Yes."

"That was a difficult time for Arendelle. Although it was long ago, it still feels fresh in my mind." Bishop Ruud sat down next to her. "I remember that almost every day afterward, many gathered here to offer their prayers for your parents and for the safe return of your sister. Your father especially took it very hard."

"So I've been told…"

"Indeed. He was a frequent visitor during those times. Even more so after his little...incident. I assume he told you about that."

"He did. It's still hard to believe though."

"While the way he handled it was wrong, I do not blame him. He may be a king, but he's still a person. There's no such thing as a perfect human being. Everyone makes mistakes at some point in their lives, be it small or huge. Why even I am guilty of making such mistakes."

"Hmm." Was what Anna managed to reply.

"Though I imagine something else is bothering you." Ruud took notice of Anna's deep thinking expression.

"Yes...It's not anything bad!"

"I wouldn't think of that. Do you wish to speak of it though?"

"If I tell you, will you promise to keep it between us?"

"The only person who will know besides us would be God himself. Speak away, princess."

"Okay, I recently met this...girl, several days before I got lost," Anna added that detail in order to not get the bishop suspicious. "She hasn't had an easy life. Her parents were nonexistent and she was abused by her caretakers in her early life. She lives alone now, but she's afraid of coming near people."

"Do your parents know about this?"

"No. I much rather not tell them about her, for the time being."

"Does this girl have a name?"

"I prefer not to mention that as well, out of respect for her."

"I understand."

"Anyway, when I think about what she went through just makes me feel so bad for her. What would possess someone to hurt a person, especially an innocent child!? It's just..."Anna paused as she took a deep small breath. "Why can the world be so cruel sometimes?"

"There are things that happen that are beyond our control," Ruud explained. "You can't right every wrong in this world."

"I can sure as well try though. I know I've only known her for a short time, but whenever I think about her...I get this feeling in me. Like I...I…"

"Like you want to help her?"

Anna gave a small nod. "I just don't know if I can."

"The Lord works in mysterious ways. Perhaps it was his plan for you and this girl to meet." Ruud put his hand on Anna's shoulder and gave a small smile "Where it'll go can only be up to you, princess."

With that, Bishop Ruud stood up and walked away, leaving Anna alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Later that night Anna found herself back in her room laying on her bed. So far, she still hasn't found the answer to her question about Elsa. As she relaxed on her bed, she was thinking about the other Elsa, that being her sister.

Anna did find it a coincidence to meet someone named Elsa and have a sister with the same name. At one point, her parents showed a painting of her sister in her toddler years. Anna did notice some similarities between them such as the blonde hair blue eyes. Could Elsa really...

 _"No way, she couldn't be."_

Anna did have her reasons for thinking this way. In the past, Anna had met other women and girls named Elsa before. Some of them were blonde and had blue eyes as well too, though not the same shade of blonde as the Elsa she knew. Also the name Elsa wasn't really a rarity name, like her cousin Rapunzel. Second of all, from what Anna could gather, Elsa had spent all of her early life with bad people, while her sister was taken at the age of three. And lastly, Elsa has magic. Not once did either of her parents bring up her sister having magic. If she did, surely they would've told her that, right?

Pulling that out her thoughts, she reflected on Bishop Ruud's words. Was it really fate for her and Elsa to meet? If so, will they see each other again?

Hoping it'll help her think better, Anna got off of her bed and walked to her window. Out in the distance were several mountains. They were part of a mountain range a little north of the kingdom. The North Mountain, where Elsa resided, was part of that range. Going there by horse wouldn't take long, but that wasn't really an option right now and no way Anna was going to wait until spring. There's also the option to hike over there. That would take a bit longer but it wasn't out of the question.

That presented two more issues. The first problem, the townspeople would take an interest in her going in out of town several times, especially since she's a frequent visitor to the town. They would probably notice after a short while. The second problem, walls. Surrounding the town of Arendelle were walls. One side was connected to the castle, the other was connected to the fjord entry. The walls go a bit deep into the woods. It would take a lot of time just to go around them. Time in which Anna did not have, especially without a horse.

"What do I do?" Anna then stared at her ceiling. "Send me a sign or something! Anything, really!"

Nothing was heard. As Anna sighed in frustration, she leaned on a nearby desk. In the process, she accidentally knocked several things off. One slightly big round object fell off her desk and rolled over to the wall near a corner. Its speed was fast enough to knock into the wall. However, Anna took note of the sound of the knock.

Deciding to examine the wall, she went to the corner. She knocked on the wall as she would on a door. It was was hollow, much like a door. At that moment, Anna had a sudden epiphany. Throughout her childhood, Anna had discovered several secret passages in the castle. Some she even used, but never told her parents. The passages she found were in almost every room in the castle. Except in her room since she never really spent a lot of time in here. She wondered…

Anna kneeled down and slowly felt around the wall. After several moments, her suspicions came true as the wall opened. On the other side was a small tunnel that was big enough for a human to crawl in. As she continues to examine the door, Anna noticed something on the latch door. It looked to be a piece of paper that was pinned on the wall of the door. Judging by how it looks, Anna guessed the paper to be very old, several hundred years old at least.

On the piece of paper looked to be a drawing of sorts. After careful examinations, she had concluded it to be a map of sorts. There was a noticeable line that went from what resembled the castle, through the walls that connected it, to the very end. That end looked to be several miles from the mountain range.

Anna stared in disbelief. She took another look down the tunnel. Before she could get any ideas, a yawn escaped from her mouth. Looking over at a clock in her room, she saw that it was late. It had been a very long day and she could use some sleep. Tomorrow she'll explore more of the tunnel. If it is as accurate as the old map, then perhaps she had finally found the answer to her question.

* * *

 **Because the internet could use some more AgdarxIdun (Agdun? Idar? Idk..) goodies. I admit, I may like them more than KrisAnna and HElsa (Yes, I like HansxElsa. If you don't, that's fine). The reason why is probably because we know little about them. Plus, they're pretty much fun to write, especially Ags (even though I'm making him suffer a lot in this story, hehe...).**

 **Okay, I can probably hear some of you groaning in frustration already at both Agdar & Anna. I don't blame you if you do, but I have several other things planned for this fic. It'll probably be a little while before...things happen. So please try to bear with me. ****That being said, I hope the reasons for their actions are believable enough.**

 **I figure magic isn't really something Agdar & Idun would like to talk about since it probably does bring painful memories (keep in mind that in this fic Agdar couldn't even step out in the snow for 5 years after Elsa's kidnapping). ****As for Anna, I don't see her as an idiot nor do I wish to portray her as such. Given the information she was told, and other things, I figure it was logical for her to come to the conclusion she had made.**

 **I got the idea with Anna in the chapel and talking to the Bishop from a scene in _The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ where Esmeralda talks to the Archdeacon. I thought it would a little neat scene to add (I actually did consider adding _'God Help the Outcasts'_ but I didn't think it would be fitting. Though I managed to sneak in some lines).**

 **And yes, Bishop Ruud is the same guy who crowned Elsa in the movie (though thats not his official name).**

 **Putting all that aside, I still hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter, we'll find out if Anna will visit Elsa again.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading. (Also, a quick thank you to SmilingStarcat for your thoughtful review. You did not bring me down, you were just giving out some helpful tips which I do appreciate. I do hope to improve in the future).**


	22. Snow in the Air

**Snow in the Air**

 _A week and a half later…_

It was almost midnight. By that point, most of Arendelle castle is most likely asleep, save for a few guards. Princess Anna was not one of those sleeping. In fact, she was very much awake and fully dressed in her winter dress, mittens, and black boots.

Tonight was the night. After almost two weeks, Anna had finally decided to make her move. A day after the discovery of the secret passage in her room, she explored more of it. The supposed map was correct about the wall going all the way to the end, with the edge of the mountain range not too far away from it. It would seem that her prayers had been answered after all.

She would've done this much sooner, but with the events of her going missing in the woods still fresh on everyone minds, she didn't want to freak anyone out. So she waited for the heat to die down. Anna had taken that time to plan her trip. Night time she thought would be the best time to do this. If she had done this during the day and was gone for a long period of time, her parents would most likely notice.

All of this was risky, but Anna wasn't going to wait any longer. One way or another she was going to visit Elsa.

Once again, Anna looked over at the clock. By now, her parents should be in bed, or getting ready if they stayed up late working. She placed some extra pillows, along with a poorly crafted wig with her hair color on her bed before covering them up, leaving the wig poking out. It would look as she was still in bed to someone looking in. Once that was handled, Anna put on a dark colored cloak. Even though her usual cape was fixed up, its magenta color was too bright and Anna had to stay incognito. Anna had also carried her father's pocket watch so she could keep track of time

Grabbing the knife Elsa had gave her, Anna made her way to the wall and opened the passage door. In her other hand was a small lantern that was lit. The light help brings out the darkness of the passage. Before Anna entered, she stopped herself. There was a moment where she hesitated.

 _"No. I'm going to do this. I was born ready!"_

Pushing all doubt aside, Anna crawled into the passage. She closed the door before continuing. The first half of the tunnel was somewhat difficult for her. It had involved a LOT of crawling around and then climbing down as well at one point. Thankfully, the second half had enough room for her to simply walk. Most of it was in the wall portion of the passage and was noticeably longer to get through. This passage looks as if no one had used it in many, many years judging by the cobwebs and cracks on the walls. It was also dark with the only other source of light beside the candle and the small rays coming from the cracks above.

A long period of walking later, Anna had made it to the end. She had been here before but struggle to remember the secret door that leads her to the outside world. Several moments of thinking later, she found it. This door Anna felt a bit heavier than on the one in her room. Yep, no one hasn't used this passage for a LONG time. After spending minutes prying the door it finally opened.

Slowly, Anna stepped into the open. Around the young teen were woodlands, still covered with snow. The month of March was not too far away but there was still some snow left. After closing the door, Anna looked around the area until she looked at something in the distance. Not too far away were the mountains. Taking another glance, she could see the castle and the fjord in the distance before she returns her glance at the range.

 _"Look at the mountains, so close, and I'm almost to it! Look at it all, so risky, do I even dare? Look at me, there at last! I just have to do it. Should I... No! Here I go."_

Pulling up her hood to cover her head, Anna took a deep breath and stood in her spot. She looked over to the castle in the distance one more time while taking several slow backward steps. Each footstep speed had greatly increased. Finally, as she finally picked up speed, Anna turned and started to run.

And so on, that what she had done for what felt like minutes. Anna continues to run through the forest. The sound of her feet making contact with the snow-covered ground played along with the rhythm of her running. Not once did she ever stop running. As she had gotten closer to her destination, the ground started to elevate. Then they became steep hills. With the incline getting steeper, Anna had to reduce her running a bit.

After a while of walking up the steep hill, the incline had finally ceased. Taking this moment to catch her breath, Anna took a quick look around her surroundings. Near her were mountain tops. Turning the opposite way, she could see Arendelle. It was then she realized she had made it to the edge of the mountain range.

"I can't believe it...I did it! I can't believe I did this!" Anna had almost screamed excitedly before calming herself down. "I can't believe I did this...Stay focused Anna!"

With that, Anna entered the mountain range. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to find The North Mountain. Unfortunately, Anna was not an experienced mountain person. Of course, she knew to look north, but the entire range was all north. Also, all the mountains look pretty much alike, which didn't help matters.

Anna had brought a map with her in order to help. However, there wasn't any sign of the mountain on the location the map told her to go. She was in the fourth spot looking another small series of mountains. Like the previous times, none of which looked familiar. Sighing in defeat, she turned away and started wandering around a bit while putting the map in her dress and picked up her lantern. How hard was it to find a mountain with a giant palace made of ice?!

"I knew it, the universe hates me..." Anna mumbled. "Some people lose their pen or their shoe. No, not me, I manage to lose an entire MOUNTAIN!"

Anna whacked her hand on a branch from a nearby tree out of frustration. The branch hit her back in the eye. Its impact was strong enough to cause her to stumble back several feet as she covered her eye and grunt in pain.

"Damn, that hurt…"

As Anna took that moment to let the pain pass through, something in the corner of her eye brought her attention. Looking in the other direction, she saw a mountain, but that wasn't like the other mountains. This one was huge, towering over the others she had seen. And instead of having a triangular top, its top was curved. It took Anna a moment to realize that the mountain she was looking at was...

"The North Mountain. I found it! Ha Ha! Thank you universe!" Anna cheered while lifting her arms in the air, both hands balled into fists, before she calmed down. "Alright, how much time do I have?" Anna took out the pocket watch and looked at the time. It had been a little over forty-five minutes since she had started this journey. "I still have plenty of time." She put the watch away.

"Next stop: Elsa."

* * *

 _Surrounding her was the dark hallway. She had found herself once again in this place. It had been in the same state as it was the previous times beforehand. Like last time, she attempted to find her way out._

 _"Hello?" she called out again._

 _"Hello again, Elsa."_

 _Turning around, Elsa saw the site of the hooded man who was referred to as Master. All she could do was scowled at him. She clearly doesn't want to deal with his trickery right now._

 _"You again?" Elsa snarled._

 _"The very same, darlin'," Master mocked, giving an equally fitting smile._

 _"I don't want to deal with you right now."_

 _"Why so sour? Aren't you happy to see me?"_

 _"I am NEVER happy to see you! Now go away!"_

 _"What? Don't you want some company that isn't made of snow & ice for a change? Though I suppose that Anna girl would fit the bill. Speaking of which, how is she?"_

 _Elsa didn't dare to say anything. She looked away while trying to hide her somber look. Those efforts didn't help much since Master seemed to take notice._

 _"She ditched you, didn't she? Why am I not surprised?" He said that rather sarcastically._

 _"She had to go back to her family," Elsa defended. "She said that she would see me again."_

 _"And how long it been since you seen her? It's almost been 2 weeks. Frankly, I'm quite surprised that she didn't get an angry mob marching over to your little home by now." He then paused. "Then again, she probably doesn't want to remember you at all. Can't say I blame her."_

 _"Would you just shut up?"_

 _"Touchy, aren't we? Did you honestly think you could be friends with her? Why didn't she go back to her family sooner? She only stayed just so she can find a way to control you. Once she couldn't, she just left."_

 _Elsa didn't say anything, but Master just continued on._

 _"Look at to yourself, Elsa. You're nothing without me. Nothing but a freak monster. People don't make friends with monsters. I was the closest thing you ever had as a friend. Probably family."_

 _"You were never my family!" Elsa shouted out. "I much rather be alone than spent another moment with your 'family'!"_

 _"Then why am I still here then?" The words from his mouth made Elsa silent. "If you hate me so much, how come I show up in your dreams occasionally?"_

 _"Why does that matter? You're not the real thing!"_

 _"But I'm the perfect figment of him. In a way, we're still the same person. I think I know why I'm still around. You don't want me to go."_

 _"Shut up…"_

 _"I know you hate being alone. You long for companionship with other people. But you and I both know why that'll never happen. So you stick with me. Even back then, I was the only person willing to even come near you."_

 _"I said shut up," Elsa said again this time more angrily, clenching her teeth a bit and her fists._

 _"Maybe I haven't quite treated you...well. But at least I was willing to be to offer you companionship. Monsters are destined to be alone. And you, Elsa, will forever be alone."_

 _"SHUT UP!"_

 _That was the last thing Elsa said as she shot shards of ice all around._

* * *

"Elsa! Elsa, wake up!"

Elsa bolted up on her bed. She breathed heavily and a cold sweat covered her.

"Are you okay Elsa?"

She turned her head to see a concerned Olaf on her side. Not too far is the alarmed Marshmallow, and some frightened Snowgies. Elsa then took notice of some ice spikes that was around her room.

"I'm fine. Just a bad dream," Elsa replied.

"Are you sure? It sounded pretty bad…" Olaf mentioned.

"It's nothing. I'm fine, really," Elsa assured. "Let me get rid of those spikes."

Elsa spent the next few minutes clearing out her ice spikes. She knew what to do because this wasn't the first time she had nightmares extreme enough to cause ice spikes to grow. Normally they usually stick around her bed, but this time it had managed to spread out a bit in her room. Thankfully, Olaf, Marshmallow, and The Snowgies weren't hurt (Not that they could feel pain anyway).

Ever since her trip to Arendelle, Elsa hasn't had a moment of peace. On one hand, the nightmares were more common than before. On the other hand, she sometimes looked back to those images she saw in Arendelle. Did they mean something? Elsa had no clue and thought it was rather pointless to keep thinking about them.

"There! That's all of them." Elsa got rid of the final spike. "Now we can all go back to sle-" Elsa stopped as she noticed Olaf's expression looking...off. "Are you okay Olaf?"

"I...I feel something. Or rather someone," Olaf responded.

"What?" Elsa asked.

 _"I feel them too,"_ Marshmallow responded.

"And they're...right outside of here," Olaf added.

At that moment, a loud thud was heard. Elsa was instantly afraid. This had never happened before with her creations. For the longest time, the only person they could only feel was her. How could her creations feel another person? That wasn't important for the moment. If there was an intruder in their home then Elsa has to be ready to defend herself. That won't be a problem.

"Everyone wait here. I'll go check it out. If you don't hear from me in fifteen minutes, look for me," Elsa said.

Elsa left the bedroom, leaving behind several fear stricken snow creatures. The only one that wasn't scared was Marshmallow, which Olaf took notice

"Why are you so calm? Usually, if you sense trouble, you get all scary and grow spikes."

 _"This isn't the first time I got this feeling. And I can guess who it is."_

Elsa slowly made her way down the stairs leading away from her bedroom until she reached the bottom. Glancing out into the foyer, a figure in dark cloak was roaming in the foyer. Elsa was close to confronting the figure. Until they started talking.

"Elsa? Are you up?" The figure pulled down her hood, revealing her face. "It's me...Anna."

For a moment, Elsa thought she was dreaming again. There was no way Anna would come back here especially after going back home. At least that's what she thought. But this wasn't a dream, Anna was really here.

"Anna?" Elsa slowly walked onto the foyer platform.

At the mention of her name, Anna looked up to see Elsa.

"Elsa...Hi," Anna greeted and watched Elsa walk down the foyer stairs.

"What are you doing back here? Does your family know you're here?"

"They don't. I miiiigghht've snuck out the castle."

"Why?"

"I did it so I could see you."

To see her? No one had ever come back for her...ever. Not even her guardian had even to bothered looking for her when she escaped.

"You came all the way out here, alone, just to see me?"

"I did say that I would come back, didn't I? What kind of friend would I be if I didn't keep my promise?"

Those words made Elsa's heart stop, but in a good way.

"Did you say...friend?" she asked.

"Yeah," Anna answered.

"You see me as a friend?"

"Of course. Why would you ask that?"

"Before you left, I was about to ask you if we were friends…I never had a friend before. A friend that isn't made out of snow at least. No one ever wanted to be my friend."

"Well, then I'm glad to say this..." Anna grabbed both of Elsa's hands, holding them halfway between them. "I would love to be your friend."

"You really mean it?"

"I do. I would've come back way sooner, but everyone back home was still riled up from my disappearance. I hated waiting this long to come ba-"

Many types of emotions went through Elsa's head. It was a mixture of sad and happy. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Before either she or Anna knew, Elsa had suddenly wrapped her arms around the latter. It took a moment for Anna to comprehend the situation. Elsa, someone who didn't like to be touched, was actually touching her. For a moment, Anna didn't know whether or not to hug her back. Instinct told her to do so and so she did. Not once did Elsa objected.

"No one's ever come back for me before," Elsa muttered, not even caring about the small tears forming in her eyes. "I didn't think you would."

"Well...I'm here now." Anna had spent the next several moments still hugging Elsa before they finally pulled away. "Soooo...what do you want to do?"

"I...I'm not sure," Elsa confessed.

This had led the girls standing in awkward silence. Elsa honestly didn't know what to do. Anna, on the other hand, had several ideas going through her head. Until one came to her.

"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Elsa could only give a small smile. "Yes."

"Well then...do the magic."

Elsa didn't waste any time. With a twirl of her hands, she made several large snow mounds all throughout the foyer. Both girls quickly went to work. Elsa rolled up and large snowball, with Anna stacking a smaller one on top. Anna drooped over a bit, lifting up her foot as she added her ball to the stack, most likely from almost slipping on the ice. The way she was positioned made Elsa giggled a bit as she covered her mouth

One more huge snowball was add on the top. They both worked together to shape it to resemble a head. Elsa used her magic to make objects to resemble sticks and eyes and placed them on the snowman. Once they had finished, they sat in front of the snowman and admire their work.

"I think we did a great job," Anna looked over the snowman.

"Yeah...we did," Elsa responded before small paused had occurred. "It looks kinda like Olaf."

Anna gave a small smile. Memories of her days building snowman went through her head. Most were mostly herself, but some were with her parents.

"Where did you get the name 'Olaf' from?"

"I...I really don't know," Elsa answered. "When I first made him, I really didn't give him a name. The first time I saw him alive he just referred himself that and it just stuck on. Why do you want to know?"

"I used that name for the snowmen I built when I was a kid."

"Maybe Olaf is just a popular name?"

"What about me?" A new voice spoke before Anna could even respond.

Both girls looked to the directions of the voice. Olaf was walking across the foyer platform. He looked as if he was about to speak until he noticed Elsa wasn't alone.

"Anna?"

"Hi, Olaf."

"You came back!" Olaf faced the stairs. "Hey guys, Anna's here!"

A cluster of squeaks and large thumps quickly moving echoed through the palace. Soon Marshmallow and The Snowgies had entered on the foyer platform. Almost immediately after seeing Anna, all of the Snowgies went over to her and dogpile her to the point she fell down on her back.

"Easy guys! I'm happy to see you too!" Anna said happily, though she was a bit overwhelmed.

The Snowgies continued to crawl over Anna until Marshmallow gave a small roar at them. It wasn't very loud, but it was loud enough to get the Snowgies to stop crowding her. No longer in a dog pile, Anna stood up.

"Thanks, big guy." The giant snow creature gave a smile to the young girl. Marshmallow then lifted his big icy finger against her cheek. Just the tip of it was as big as her own head. "It's good to see you again." Anna nuzzled her head against his finger. "It's good to see all of you."

"What are you doing here?" Olaf asked.

"Visiting you guys." Anna went over to the snowman and gave him a hug, in which Olaf was happy to oblige.

"We thought we never see you again. What were you both doing?"

"We build a snowman," Elsa answered as she showed Olaf the newly built snowman. "It was Anna's idea."

"Wow!" Olaf whispered. "He looks like me!"

"Hey, since all of you guys are here now, what do you want to do?" Anna asked.

No one said anything. Elsa had a thoughtful look before her face suddenly brightened.

"Have you been in a snowball fight?" Elsa asked.

Anna gave a small laugh. "You're looking at Arendelle's top snowball fighter."

"That's a thing?" Olaf asked.

"I'm a princess, so I make it a thing."

"Then I guess you won't have a problem with this."

Elsa quickly formed a snowball in her hand and quickly threw at Anna's head. The ice wielder gave a small laugh as Anna wiped the snow off her face, along with spitting some that got in her mouth.

"Oh, it's on!" Anna declared.

More snow mounds were added throughout the foyer. Soon, the snowball fight was commerce. Two teams had been formed: Elsa & Marshmallow against Anna & Olaf, with some snowiges on their sides as well. For a while, it was just both sides throwing snowballs at each other. Excitement & laughter was filled through the air as a rain of snowballs filled the foyer.

The snowball fight died down after a while. A winner was never decided, but that didn't matter. After resting a bit, Olaf gave another idea.

"Ice skating?" Anna said.

"Yeah!"

"I think that's a good idea," Elsa said.

"Where though?" Anna asked.

"We can do it here. There's enough room."

"I don't have skates."

"Don't worry." Elsa flicked her hand and a gust of snow came out and swirled around Anna's boots. Under those boots formed skates.

Anna gave a small gasp as she watched the skates form. "Oh, Elsa."

"You like them?"

"They're beautiful...But I'm not really much of a ska-"

"Come on! Do it!"

Elsa suddenly pulled Anna's hands and they both started skating around the foyer. At first, Anna struggled a bit and almost fell down. Thankfully, with the help of Olaf, Elsa manage to pull her up each time.

"It's alright. I got you," Elsa would say almost every time.

"Sorry. I never was a good skater," Anna said.

"I can teach you what I know."

"Really?" Elsa nodded with a smile. "Okay. Show me what you know."

"Alright. First, you need bend your knees..."

From there, Elsa gave tips on ice skating to Anna. Olaf still skated on his own, with several Snowgies. Elsa had continued to hold on to Anna as she taught her basics. However, Anna keeps on falling.

"What did I tell ya? I'm bad at skating," Anna proclaimed.

"You'll get the hang of it," Elsa encouraged. "I know you will. You just have to keep trying and not give up. "

The way Elsa had spoken to Anna sounded soft and encouraging. Much like how one would speak to a younger child when they're having trouble learning something new. It had reminded Anna of the time when her father was teaching her to ride a bicycle when she was a child. She had issues keeping her balance and kept on falling off. It had come to the point where she wanted to give up. But her father was patient with her. He kept encouraging her because he believed in her. In the end, that encouragement paid off and the next thing she new, she was riding around in every part the castle.

So Anna decided to heed Elsa's words. She had actually improved from that point. Well, not professional skater good, but good enough to skate without Elsa's help. After a while, they stopped ice skating and they sat on the foyer stairs. The past few hours had worn out Anna.

"I don't know about you, but I'm dead tired," Anna said.

"But you're still alive…?" Elsa clearly didn't understand the meaning.

"It's another expression. It means I'm very tired."

"Oh. Is that bad?"

"No. I just had...A lot of fun tonight. I haven't this much fun since I was a kid."

"You still are a kid."

Anna chuckled. "You're probably right about that."

"I really did have a good time," Elsa said, a small smile forming on her face. "I haven't had this much fun in...years."

"I'm glad you did have a lot of fun."

No one said anything after that.

"Do you have to leave again?" A hint of glum was heard in Elsa's voice.

"Yes," Anna answered. "I enjoy spending time with you, but I have my family back home. They don't know about you."

"They don't?"

"Because I'm not sure if they would believe me if I told them about you." That answer was partially true on why she never told anyone. The real reason was because Anna was afraid her parents would kill Elsa for witchcraft, but she's sure as hell wasn't going to tell her that. She didn't want to make Elsa more scared of people then she already is. "Not many people believe in magic."

"I see…"

"Anyways, I do have to go back home. But I'll still visit."

"Visit?"

"I'll come over here to see you, now that I know how to get here. It'll probably be at night, and only several times a week. I hope that won't be a problem."

"It's not. I'm just happy to have you as a friend. When will you come back?"

"How do two nights sound?" Anna answered after a moment

"I would like that." Anna smiled at Elsa. That is until a yawn overtook her. "I think you should get home now."

"I probably should. How long was I gone anyway?" Anna pulled out the pocket watch. Her eyes widen a bit as she looked at it. "Wow. I have been away from home for quite a while. I better get going."

"Wait!" Elsa shouted as Anna started walking away. "Would you like Marshmallow to carry you back?"

"Is that alright with him?"

"He would like to. He'll take you as far as you want." Elsa looked over to Marshmallow. "Right?"

Marshmallow slowly nodded his head.

"Alright. How do I-woah!" Marshmallow picked Anna up with his hand. She was secured in a way to ensure her comfort and security. "Okay. I guess we're doing this."

"This is goodbye then?" Elsa asked. "Two nights, right?"

"Yes. I promise."

"Alright. Marshmallow lets go."

The big snow creation nodded his head and walked towards the large doors. He opened them and walked down the icy stairs.

"He maybe a little rough once he runs!" Elsa shouted from the door once they walked down the stairs.

"I'm sure I can handle it." Anna had shouted back. "How bad can he can he beeEEE!" The last part she said as Marshmallow started running.

Much like what Elsa said, Marshmallow was a bit rough. This was definitely different from riding on a horse, or reindeer. It was still comfortable enough, so there's at least that. Marshmallow kept running through the mountain range for a good while until he reached the edge of it. Just down below was Arendelle.

"I can go on from here."

"You...sure?" Marshmallow asked.

"I'll be fine," Anna assured as she patted him. "See ya in two nights, big guy."

Marshmallow and Anna smiled at each other before they both parted ways. As Anna walked through the trees, she can't help but think back to the events at the palace. It was something she had enjoyed. One thing still stuck to her mind. The look of joy on Elsa's face had always kept popping in Anna's head. It was the same kind one would see on a child when they would have high amounts of fun. The ice wielder did say she hasn't had that much fun in years. When was the last time did she had fun? Did she even experience that kind of fun before?

But there was one thing Anna did know. It won't be the last time Elsa will experience such a thing. She was her friend, and friends stick together. No one else will know of this friendship. Not her parents. Not Kai & Gerda. Kristoff...She'll have to think on that.

A secret friendship...That definitely sounds something straight out of a novel her mother would read. Only except this type of relationship isn't romance or technically forbidden. Maybe secret friendship just doesn't sit well for authors...? (Though forbidden friendship did have a nice ring to it). Of course, keeping secrets also meant possibly lying. Anna would definitely hate to further lie to those close to her, especially her parents & Kristoff. But if it had to keep Elsa safe for the time being, so be it. Maybe the time will come where it will no longer come to that. Until then, she may have to lie to protect.

Despite all that, she thinks about her next visit to Elsa. It made her feel happy. That thought stayed with her as she came back to the wall surrounding the town. It still didn't leave her as she went through the passage back to her room, prepping herself for bed, and then falling asleep.

* * *

Elsa watched until they were out of site. A part of her was worried, but she trusts Marshmallow that he would take care of Anna. He, along with Olaf, seemed to have some sort of connection with her, which Elsa still found odd.

Pushing that thought aside, Elsa retreated back into the palace. The snow mounds she had made earlier were still there. On one of them was Olaf sleeping soundly, along with The Snowgies. Elsa decided to leave them be and retreated back to her room alone.

Back in her room, Elsa closed the icy doors behind her. Instead of going to her bed, Elsa walked to her window and looked outside. It was very quiet all around her. Not the quietness of night time quiet. It was the loneliness type of quiet. The one Elsa had been familiar with for 10 years, and the same that had stuck around after Anna first left. She was saddened that Anna had, once again, left.

"Back to life up here in my icy home. Cooped up here all alone and I'm gazing out." Elsa pushed opened her window and looked out for several moments. "True I'm up here and far from those near. I'm safe and secured. And for sure, that's more than enough, no doubt."

A cold breeze came through, swaying strands of Elsa's hair as her eyes closed. Out in the sky, some clouds had moved, revealing the moon behind it. The moon's light shined into Elsa's room. Something in it had reflected back, which caught Elsa's eye. The light reflected off the ice figurine of Anna. Just looking at it, Elsa smiled as she remembered Anna's promise. She did come back and she still intends to continue coming back here. Because they were friends.

"But I have the snow in the air and a storm within, 'cause there's something beginning." In the heap of her excitement, Elsa made a small balcony near the window and danced around on it. Making several small snowflakes as she did. "I got something to look forward, and a new friend who cares!"

She stopped her dancing gazed upon the mountains. Around her were the snowflakes she had just made. "Those lovely snowflakes blowing through. I'm ready to follow them who knows where. And I'll get there, I swear, with the snow in the air."

Elsa stuck her arms out and more snowflakes came out. She watches them as they disappear into the mountains. Deep in her, she felt the sense of...Smugness. That feeling was directed towards someone Elsa had known long ago.

 _"Chew on that, Fritjof."_ Was the last thought Elsa had before she retreated back into her room and fell falling asleep on her bed. For the first time in days, she slept peacefully.

* * *

Not far from the North Mountain, the snowflakes that were created by Elsa had still flown in the breeze in the air. They had continued to float around through the wilderness, even picking up several leaves in the gust.

After a while, they had flown near a valley that wasn't covered by the winter's touch. The snowflakes & leaves had floated on top of a hill. Until a small hand, that came from a small, rounded figure with a moss cape had suddenly grabbed them. The figure unclaps his palm of his stone hand to examine his findings. Three leaves surrounding a snowflake.

The figure could only give a thoughtful 'Hmm…' before rolling away back into the valley.

* * *

 **I know this chapter probably isn't exciting. I'm not sure if I like how it turned out. But I hope you guys still like it.**

 **At last, Anna & Elsa see each other again. And they're gonna have a forbi- I mean, secret friendship. Also, ****Tangled themes! Tangled themes everywhere!**

 **I have 2 questions for you guys.**

 **1\. I'm considering revising some these chapters to add dates on them (mostly months and the year it takes place. The day will only be use for other specific stuff). Would that be okay, or should I just not add them at all?**

 **2\. Since I think we're in a good chunk in the story, I really want to know this: H** **ow am I doing on the characters? Is there a particular character that you like/dislike the way I portray them?**

 **I ask these kind of questions in order to make sure the quality of the story is good. Leave your answers in the reviews please, along with other things to help me improve the story if you wish:).**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	23. Show and Tell

**Show and Tell**

 _March, 1836_

The month March had arrived not too long ago. It is the month where the season of winter slowly leave its stages and begins the process of becoming spring by the following month. Despite that, winter's presence still lingers. As the month had changed, life still remained the for the citizens of Arendelle, including the royal family. Unaware of the secret Princess Anna keeps from them.

Several times a week Anna would pay a visit to Elsa. After the first visit to her, Anna had kept her promise and saw her again two nights later. They once again played around with Elsa's magic, though shorter this time. They spent the remainder of the visit to simply relax and talk. At one point, a small grumble noise was heard from Anna.

"Hungry?" Elsa asked.

"Uh, yeah," Anna answered. "I could go for a snack."

Elsa went over to one of the chests and pulled out a small ice block. She then got out a bowl and place the block in it. Hovering her hand over the block, she started thawing it. Anna had noticed that when Elsa created things with her magic, they always worked in an instant. When she thawed ice she was noticeably slower. That had taken Anna's attention once she noticed Elsa's food. So far, she had seen her eat berries, nuts, and the occasional herb & mushroom soup. When she asked if she had more, Elsa did mention that she does eat meat.

"I ran out of them just a week before I met you." Was her answer. "I haven't had much luck with hunting & fishing this winter."

"Have you ever ran out of food before?" Anna asked.

"There were times where I did run low and had to ration. The longest I went without food was maybe little over a week."

Just even the thought Elsa starving made Anna feel bad for her. At that moment, Anna mental swore to herself that she was never complaining about eating the food she hated for dinner ever again. Just then, an idea came Anna's head.

Before Anna left to visit Elsa again, she went down to the castle kitchens with a basket in her hand. Thankfully, no one was in this part of the castle at this hour, which made sneaking there a breeze. Anna went to where the food was usually stocked and packed several foods she liked.

Food wasn't the only Anna had brought. In the basket were several books. Elsa did mention about reading stories as a kid and Anna figure she would probably like to read some of them.

Once she was done, Anna went back to her room. There she made her way outside through the passageway and outside. When she had arrived at the ice palace a little bit later, Elsa's attention was brought upon the basket in Anna's hand.

"I brought some stuff for you."

"For me? Why?"

"Because I thought you would like them." Anna pulled the books out of the basket.

"Are those…" Elsa started.

"Yep! Books. You mentioned that you read stories & fairy tales when you were younger, so I thought you would like them. These ones are my favorites." Anna picked each book up, reading the title and what they were about as she did. "This first I have is called The Heroic Tale of Hercules. It tells the story of a Greek god who got turned into a mortal and has to become a true hero to regain his godhood. This other one here is The Ballad of Mulan. It's about a girl from a land called China who goes to war to protect her father. And here's a favorite of mine, The Tales of Flynnigan Rider."

"Those do sound like fun stories. I'm not sure which one to start."

"You can start with whatever you like and take however long to read them. But we'll worry about that later, I have more stuff."

"What's else is in there?"

"Some food," Anna answered. "I remember how you told about your food situation last time and I decided to help you out on that."

Anna emptied out more contents from the basket. There was an apple, a loaf of bread, several cookies, cheese, two carrots, and even a chocolate bar. Anna had expected for Elsa to start eating, but all she did was stare. Her blue eyes had grown big, unsure what to do about the food. She looks as if they were completely foreign to her.

"You can try whatever you want first." Anna hoped that would encourage her to start trying.

Elsa slowly lifted her hand and hovered it over the food. She was figuring out which one to pick. Yet, she was fascinated by them.

"They're all so...different," Elsa muttered.

"There are a lot of types of food." Anna pointed to each of the food. "This is an apple. They're fruits, like berries. These are carrots which are vegetables. This is bread. You can eat it whole, or you can cut two slices and use them to make sandwiches."

"Sandwiches?"

"You put smaller food in between the bread slices and eat them whole. Anyways, these things shaped like circles are cookies. This is cheese. And here's my personal favorite, chocolate!"

"Can I try that first?"

"Knock yourself out."

"How would I do tha-" The look on Anna's had made her stop, realizing what she had meant. "That's an expression, isn't it?"

"Idiom, technically, but it's the same idea."

Elsa reached out for the chocolate and put it close to her mouth. She looked at for a moment before putting the corner of the bar in her mouth and took a small bite out of it. Anna watched her chew the piece slowly.

"What do you-" Anna was cut off by Elsa suddenly gobbling down the entire bar. It was so abrupt that Anna jumped a bit. "...think?"

"That was the greatest thing I've ever eaten," Elsa exclaimed as her chocolate covered mouth smiled. "Do you have more?"

"No, but I can bring some more next time. Uh, Let me clean your mouth."

After Anna wiped the chocolate off, Elsa looked over to the next food she wanted to try. This time she looked at the two carrots.

"Are both of these...carrots for me?"

"Actually, the other carrot is for Olaf."

"For him to eat?"

"Something else actually. Could you call him?"

It wasn't long until Olaf had walked between the girls after Elsa called his name.

"Hey, guys. What'cha need?"

"Anna has something for you, Olaf," Elsa explained.

"Oooh! What is it? Is it a gift? I really love gifts." Olaf turned his head to face Elsa at that last sentence before looking back at Anna, who then stuck the carrot on his face. "WOO! Head-rush!"

"Whoops! Too hard! I'm sorry!" Anna had pushed the carrot harder than she thought which resulted with most of the carrot sticking out from the back of Olaf's head and the tip of on the front of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding me? I...am wonderful! I always wanted a nose! It's so cute, it's like a little baby unicorn…" Olaf turned his attention away from Anna and was focused on the carrot tip and talking with a baby voice. Anna took that moment to push the rest of the carrot back into the snowman's head and have it fully in front of his face. "Ohh….I love it even more! Thank you."

"It suits you," Anna complemented. "What do you think, Elsa?"

Elsa looked at Olaf, as he had an eager smile on his face and his stick arms crossed in front of him, waiting for her answer. "It does look good on you, Olaf."

"I gonna show the others!" Olaf quickly ran off. "Everyone! I got a new nose!"

"He seems really happy," Anna mentioned.

"He is...That was really nice of you," Elsa said.

"Thanks."

"So this other carrot is for me to try?"

The rest of the time was spent with Elsa eating the rest of the food. Anna was amazed that Elsa had managed to eat all of it. From there on, Anna had always brought food of any type whenever she visited Elsa. The ice wielder seemed to like eat pretty much anything so Anna didn't seem to have to worry about what to bring. Though chocolate became her most favorite treat that Anna would often remember to bring a bar with her when she could.

* * *

There are visits in which Anna & Elsa hang around the castle. Others they like to go outside.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Anna?"

Elsa had decided to take Anna out on one her and Marshmallow's 'runs'. Much to Elsa's surprise, Anna wanted to see the cliff jumping. Even wanting to take part in it. At the very moment, they were at a cliff about several miles away from the ice palace. It wasn't very high, but it was tall enough for the drop.

"Of course I do," Anna said. "I'll be safe...right?"

"Just as long Marshmallow keeps a hold on you. I'm gonna warn you, it may be a little rough."

"Can't be as bad as Marshmallow carrying me."

"Okay...I did warn you."

Marshmallow gently grabbed Anna in his huge hand. Both he and Elsa made their way to the cliff's edge. Before they could jump, Elsa took one more glance at Anna.

"Are you ready?"

"I was born ready!"

* * *

 _Sometime later…_

"I'm never doing that again…" Anna muttered

Not far away, the two girls and giant snowman where currently resting on some rocks. Anna was taking some leaves and tree branches off of her, with Elsa helping as well.

"I probably should've been on the lookout for those trees. I think I should be the only one to do this from now on." Elsa pulled a branch from Anna's hair.

"I can agree with that." Anna brushed another leaf off. "Is that all of them?"

"Looks like it."

"Good. Can we go back now?"

"What do you say, Marshmallow?"

The big snow creature didn't say anything. Instead, he just gave an annoyed grunt.

"You okay big guy?" All the snow creature did in response was throw a handful (his version of a handful) of snow at Anna. "Sheesh! Why are you so grumpy all of a sudden?"

"I think it's because of the comment you made about him earlier. When you said he should cut off some of his snow if wants to dodge better." Elsa said. "I think you should apologize for it."

"Oh, that's what he's on about?" Anna walked over to the big snowman. "Is that why you're all grumpy, big baby boo?" Marshmallow only responded with some playful mocking gestures and noises. "Oh yeah, well let's see how you like this!"

Anna then starts to playfully wrestle Marshmallow's hand. At the same time, playfully taunting him as well.

"Oh yeah! You feeling tough and mighty now, huh?"

Despite her efforts, Marshmallow just stood unfazed with his matching expression. Elsa, on the other hand, couldn't help but find Anna's attempt to wrestle the big snowman humorous. Anna even clung on when Marshmallow lifted his arm up. Looking over to the side, Marshmallow got an idea and started walking over to the side.

"You wouldn't hurt an innocent, little…Ahh!" Anna clung to Marshmallow's arm, as it was hovering over a cliff's edge. A mischievous chuckle came from the giant snowman. "Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry."

Marshmallow moved his arm away from the cliff and put Anna back on the ground they were on. That, Anna was happy to do.

"And you just stood by and watch all that," Anna stated to Elsa.

"He was just playing."

"He sure had an interesting definition of playing," Marshmallow responded to Anna's statement by blowing some ice on her, leaving her covered with frost.

"And that's how he shows affection," Elsa added.

"He's a real charmer." Anna brushed off the remaining frost off and looked at Marshmallow. He had an innocent look on his face, one that reminded her of a dog that would beg his owner in order for its owner to cave in. Interestingly, this had the same effect. "Ohh...I can't stay mad at you. Come here, big guy!" Anna gave a hug to the huge snowman.

Elsa couldn't help but smile. Anna had really warmed her way to Marshmallow's heart...Even if he doesn't technically have one.

* * *

Elsa may not have that much experience with being around people but she did notice something off about Anna. She had been unusually quieter than usual on this visit compared to previous ones.

"Are you alright Anna?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You haven't been...chatty tonight. Are you really okay?"

"I am. I just have something on my mind."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just something silly."

"Can't you at least tell me?" The years Elsa had spent with her snow companions, she had her fair share of listening to their issues.

"Alright. My mama's birthday is coming up."

"Birthday?"

"Yeah. It's a day where we celebrate-"

"I know what it is." Elsa cut her off.

"Right…" Trailing off for a moment, Anna got back on track. "Anyways, it's gonna be in a few days and I don't know what to get for her."

"Get her what?"

"A gift."

"Oh."

"I want to give her something nice, but nothing too simple."

"What does she like?"

"She likes things such as flowers, and jewelry, but it's too cold out for flowers to grow and she already has so much jewelry. She's a queen for crying out loud!"

"Why not both...Like a flower bracelet or something like that?"

"A bracelet made of flowers?"

"Not exactly. Like something that looks like flowers."

"That's actually not a bad idea." Anna was lit up with the idea before she gave a breath. "But the shops in Arendelle don't have anything like that."

The look of disappointment & hopelessness was something Elsa did not like to see on Anna. She really wanted to help solve her issue, but she didn't know how. Then, she got a sudden idea. Turning away from Anna, Elsa conjured her magic and started making something.

Anna didn't notice Elsa had her back turned until she heard the shimmer of magic. She looked over to Elsa and was trying to see what she was doing. Several seconds later, Elsa turned back and held her arm out.

"What do you think?' Elsa asked.

Around Elsa's wrist was something that resembled a bracelet. Not just a normal brace, it seemed to resemble a lace cuff bracelet. It was white and it had a beautiful floral design pattern and several beads. The bracelet was wrapped around the whole wrist and was went to the bottom of her fingers. In the center, on the top of her hand, was a gorgeous flower design.

"My god...Elsa this is beautiful."

"Thanks." Elsa took the bracelet off and hand it over to Anna. "Here."

"Wait, what?"

"Give this to your mama."

"I-I can't. You made it…"

"And I'm giving it to you. Please..."

Looking at the offering in her hands, Anna slowly took the bracelet. Even though it was made of snow, it surprisingly felt like a normal lace cuff bracelet. That would make hiding the fact it was made out of snow much easier.

"You didn't have to make this."

"We're friends. We help each other out, right?"

A happy, hopeful smile appeared on Elsa's face.

"Thank you…" Anna smiled back.

* * *

The day of the Spring Equinox had arrived in the kingdom. It is a day that symbolized the official start of spring. At least it was too many. To some, it signifies another important event in the royal family, for today was also Queen Idun's birthday. At the moment, the queen and her daughter were spending it in the gazebo in the garden. They were sitting at a table having lunch and simply chatting.

"Is papa going to join us?" Anna asked.

"He's caught up in a meeting," Idun answered. "Just because I'm free today doesn't mean he is. He'll probably be held up for a little while."

"Oh."

"But we can still have fun with just the two of us. It's been a while since we both had a girls day out."

"It has. What do you want to do?"

"Why not talk?"

"Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

"How are things between you and Kristoff?"

"We've been fine. Just the same old stuff."

"Really?" Idun had 'the look' in her eyes. Anna could guess what she was talking about.

"We're just friends, mama."

"If you say so. Though my sister Arianna used to say the same thing about your uncle Fredric and we know how they ended up. Of course, my other sister Willow will never let her live that down."

Anna chuckled a bit. Before she could say anything else, a sudden gust of cold wind had blown through, carrying some snowflakes. Despite the temperatures rising with the month and snow started to melt, some remnants of winter still remained. Several of those snowflakes had landed on Anna.

"Damn, that's cold!"

"Language, Anna," Idun reminded.

"Sorry, mama." Anna remembered that her mother didn't like when she and her father do their, as Idun would call, 'sailor talk'. "It's the fu-...fudging first day of spring and there's still snow around. I mean, did mother nature not get the memo or something?"

"I thought you liked snow."

"I do, but there's a thing called 'overstaying its welcome', mama." Anna then brushed off the snowflakes off of her. Just when she was done, her mother started giggling. "What's so funny."

"There's a snowflake on your nose, sweetheart," Idun pointed out.

"What? Oh!" Using her finger, Anna too the snowflake off her nose. The snowflake had stuck onto her finger for a moment before the wind blew it away. After it did, Anna look at her mother, who's expression looked somber. "Mama?"

"Sorry. I was just having some recollections."

Judging by the way her mother responded, Anna could guess what she was thinking about.

"Is it...her?"

"Y-yes…" Idun paused for a moment. "There was once a time where I wasn't a big fan of snow. Since I'm from Corona, I'm not used to it. Now when I see snow, it brings me memories of your sister."

"Was she a big winter person?"

Idun gave a small smile. "In the best way. Part of me thinks it has to due to the fact she was born on the Winter Solstice."

"Me and Elsa have Solstice birthdays? That's cool."

"Yeah...Besides that fact, she loved playing in the snow. Me and your father would often join her when we could. Our favorite thing to do was building a snowman. Even when we couldn't she still would play in the snow. Your father used to call her 'snowflake'. It was his own nickname for her."

"That's sounds cute."

"It was."

Idun's small smile shrank as it was replaced with a sad frown. She almost looked as if she was gonna cry.

"Are you going to be okay?" Anna asked.

"I will." Idun took a moment to wipe her eye. "Sorry for acting like this."

"It's fine, mama."

"It's just...I'm not really used to being this open to you about it. Just telling even smaller bits about Elsa just makes me relieved. I can't help but get a little emotional about it sometimes."

"I think it's good for you to talk about Elsa. I mean I may not exactly know how it feels since I never met her…" Anna stopped herself for a moment before continuing on. "But I want to help you and papa in whatever way I can."

"That's really kind of you, sweetheart. I wished we could've told you much, much sooner."

"Hey, all that's in the past now. You can talk all about Elsa whenever you and papa want."

"Thank you...but I'm not really up to it right now."

"That's alright..." Figuring her mother want her mood up again, Anna decided to give her present. "On a different subject, I have something for you." Anna pulled out a small box with decorative wrappings and a lovely bow on top. "Happy Birthday mama."

Anna handed the box over to Idun. She watched her mother untie the bow and took off the wrapper. Once all of that was off, Idun removed the lid from the small box. Her mouth gaped open as she picked up the lace cuff bracelet.

"Oh, Anna…" Idun muttered. "It's lovely."

"Try it on," Anna suggested.

Idun put the bracelet on her wrist. It was a perfect fit for the queen. "Where did you find this?"

"I...I bought it from a traveling merchant. Do you like it?"

"Of course. Thank you, Anna."

Seeing her mother enjoying her gift had definitely made Anna happy. Not entirely though since she had to once again had to conjure up a lie to cover Elsa. Anna hated lying to her friends & family and keeping Elsa a secret from them. The only shining light is that Anna told herself that it wouldn't be that way forever. Anna knew it's most likely a matter of time before someone close to her grew suspicious on what she's been up to for the past month. She sometimes often planned on how she would explain Elsa. That day was not today and hopefully, it won't be for just a little while longer. At least long enough for her to plan properly.

* * *

After several hours, Agdar had finally left the council chambers. The first thing he wanted to do was find Idun. He hated being away from his wife for so long, especially since today was her birthday. Eventually, he found her in the library.

The library itself was much bigger and had much more books than his study. Like the study, the library had a fireplace and couch in front of it. On that couch was Idun, who was in the middle of reading a book.

"Happy Birthday love," he greeted.

"Hello Agdar," Idun put her book down as her husband sat next to her. They gave each other a quick kiss on the lips. "The meeting went alright?"

"It did, thank you. Sorry I couldn't be with you most of the day."

"It's fine, dear. Anna kept me company."

"What did you both do?"

"We had lunch and talked a bit. She gave me this wonderful gift." Idun moved her hand with the lace cuff bracelet to Agdar for him to so.

"It certainly is beautiful. Where did she get it?"

"She said she got it from a traveling merchant. Feels a bit cold though...Then again, things tend to get colder than usual around here."

Agdar chuckled at his wife's statement. When Idun let him touch it, he did notice it did felt a bit cold. But like she said, the air outside probably had something to do with it. Despite that, it really was a beautiful piece of work. Yet, for some reason, something about the design seemed familiar to him. He couldn't put his finger on it and he decided brushed it off. However, that feeling had stuck with him for the rest of the day.

* * *

 **I couldn't come up with a better title for this chapter...On another note, yes I did reference Hercules & Mulan (mind you, Anna has the Disney versions of those stories:P), and Tangled of course. Speaking of which, I think I may be the first to mention Willow (Arianna's sister) in a Frozen fic. I haven't really seen any fics or fanart of Willow with the Arendelle royal family. Considering the many sibling headcanons between Rapunzel's and Anna & Elsa's parents, that's quite surprising to say the least. Who knows? I might be looking in the wrong places.**

 **I don't know about you guys, but something tells me that Idun likes KristAnna:P. (Speaking of Kristoff, we'll be seeing him again in the next chapter...).**

 **Uh anyways...An interesting fact I found on the Disney wiki about Idun, and I'm quoting from the page, that she was born** _ **"…At the end of winter, right before spring."**_ **Sooo...I figure she was probably born on the Spring Equinox (and for the sake of it, I made Agdar's birthday on the Autumn Equinox).** **It be neat if you think about it. I mean you get:**

 **Elsa=Winter. Idun=Spring. Anna= Summer. And Agdar=Fall.**

 **But that's just my little headcanon.**

 **And in case you haven't figure it out, Elsa not understanding expressions is somewhat of a running gag here. I just hope It won't get annoying. And i** **f you don't know what a lace cuff bracelet is, google search it (specifically '** **lace cuff bracelet 1800s') and you'll get the idea what it looked like.**

 **Oh, if you guys find me on my Tumblr page (just type _alphagirl404_ , then _.tumblr_ , then _.com_ in the URL)** **, you can ask me questions about this story.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading**


	24. Seeds of Suspicion

**Seeds of Suspicion**

 _April 1836_

"What's it like being a princess?"

That was a question Anna did not expect to hear while building a snowman with Elsa. Anna was in the middle of another visit with Elsa and they decided to play with her magic in the ice palace foyer.

"Why do you want to know?" Anna asked.

"I've always read about them in books. They're often seen as beautiful girls that break spells or needed to be saved. Since you're a princess, I want to know the real thing. If want to."

"Well, for one thing, I never broke any spells before. And second, I never once needed saving."

"I saved you from freezing to death," Elsa pointed out.

"Okay, besides that. What else do you want to know?"

"What exactly is a princess?"

"A princess, or prince for boys, are members of royalty. Meaning they are related to the ruling monarchs."

"I think you mentioned that they were their children?"

"Usually, yes. Sometimes they could be a niece or nephew, or maybe even a sibling of theirs. In my case, I'm their daughter. Though, there's more to being a princess than just being related."

"What is it?"

"A princess, or prince, is also the next ones to rule when the current monarch can't anymore."

"What if there's more than one prince or princess?"

"Then it would go to the eldest. But since I'm Arendelle's only princess…"

"You'll be queen one day?"

"Most likely. Or if my parents rule long enough, it could go to my first child instead and I become a regent of sorts."

"That can happen?"

"It has to some royals. Others aren't so lucky."

"Why?"

"There are two ways that I could become a queen. One is that my parents become too old to rule so they abdicate their crown and whoever's next in line takes their role."

"Abdicate?"

"A royal's version of retirement."

"What's the other way you could become queen?"

"They die." Anna put it bluntly.

"Oh…" Elsa did not expect that kind of answer.

"Yeah, those are royals who aren't as lucky…" An uneasy awkwardness was heard in Anna's voice as she rubbed her neck nervously, wanting to change the topic. "Next question."

"What are your parents like?"

"As the king & queen?"

"I want to know what they're like as your mom & dad." Elsa paused her sentence. "I know it sounds like a stupid question, but I never had parents so I don't know what's it like having them."

"It's not a stupid question at all. I think its understandable." Anna sat more comfortably while Elsa had her full attention. "I guess for starters, they're good parents. I mean obviously, they are. I wouldn't call them that if they weren't, but anyway. Despite their roles, they always managed to have time for me whenever they could. Mama & papa did everything to make sure I was well taken care of and I'm grateful for that."

"They sound like good people."

"They really are. We're not always a perfect family and it isn't always easy. We've made some mistakes and been through some hardships."

"What hardships?" Elsa asked.

"My parents lost someone close to them many years ago."

"Who?"

"My sister…"

"You lost your sister? That must've been terrible."

"It was years ago. I wasn't even born when it happened so I can't exactly understand what they went through. From what they told me, I can make a pretty good guess it was pretty awful. My papa took the loss very hard and became very overprotective of me for a while afterward."

"I'm sorry your family went through that."

"Thanks, but they're doing better now and I'm helping them in whatever way I can. That's all part of being in a family. We love, protect, and help each other no matter what. My parents sometimes made bad choices, but I know they always had the best intentions for me."

"You and your parents really seem to care for each other."

"Family is important. We may be flawed sometimes, but I still love them and they love me. In the end, that's what matters. There's no such thing as a perfect person."

Perfect...that was a word that Elsa had heard several times during her childhood years, and not in the best way. Many times her master had told her that both she and him will make a perfect world one day. Just another one of his lies that she foolishly believed.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice was heard.

"Oh sorry." Elsa snapped out of it. "I never knew that parents can be so caring…"

Judging by the tone of Elsa's voice, it did make Anna wonder about Elsa's parents (Assuming they weren't dead). Did Elsa's own parents care for her the same way Anna's did? Did they even care for her at all? Or have they never cared? Before she could ask any questions, the somber look Elsa's face made her stop that and decided to lighten her mood.

"Hey, you know what turn that frown upside down?" Anna asked.

"What?" Elsa looks at her.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" Anna threw a snowball at Elsa, causing her to laugh. Pretty soon they were engaged in a snowball war, with Elsa's creations soon joining in on the fun.

* * *

 _Several hours later..._

A yawn had escaped from Anna's mouth as she stretched her arms. Looking around, she realized she was in a corner of the ice palace foyer. Not too far her was Elsa, who was sleeping against a sleeping Marshmallow, while Olaf and The Snowgies slept on the ground. They must've played so much that they dozed off.

As Anna rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed that the palace looked a bit brighter. There was still some darkness but there was light. It was odd to Anna since it should still be nighttime. Unless…

Pulling out the pocket watch hastily, Anna quickly looked over the time. Her heart stopped once she realized the time. It was almost seven in the morning!

"OH SHIT!"

The tone of her voice was just loud enough for everyone else to suddenly wake up.

"WHAT'S GOING ON? WHY IS SHE YELLING?" Olaf shouted.

"Calm down Olaf." Elsa looked over at Anna. "What's wrong, Anna?"

"I have to leave now! If I'm not back at the castle in an hour, my parents will freak!"

Elsa understood what she had meant, so did Marshmallow because soon, Anna was in his grasp as he was running.

"I'll see you later!" Anna shouted back towards Elsa as Marshmallow ran.

* * *

Not many would be in the outskirts of Arendelle when it was almost eight in the morning. Not unless one would be an early riser, like an iceman and his reindeer companion. Kristoff was walking alongside Sven. Behind the reindeer was a sleigh that had several large ice blocks. With Spring finally had arrived, it had become warmer. And when it got warmer, people wanted to get cooler. This marked the beginning of the ice harvesting season.

Kristoff was on his way back to Arendelle after several days of ice harvesting. He had had his first batch of the season and wanted to return as quickly as possible. As much as he loves his profession, he was eager to return back to the kingdom, mostly to see Anna again. As he kept walking, Kristoff heard Sven slowly stopped. He turned around to see Sven moving his head around and his ears were twitching a bit.

"What's the matter, Sven? Did you hear something?"

As they quieted down, soft footsteps were heard. Although the steps sounded like they were going the pair's opposite direction, Kristoff got out his pickaxe just to be safe. This had brought some concern greatly in Kristoff. What would someone be doing out here at this time? After some inner debate, Kristoff decided to take a closer look.

Gesturing Sven to keep quiet, Kristoff slowly walked into the woods, pickaxe still in his hand. As he kept getting closer he could make out the footsteps. They sounded rapid as if they were running, and getting closer. A loud rustle of a bush was heard, causing Kristoff to gasp a bit as he took cover behind a tree.

Peeking over enough to stay hidden but not be seen, Kristoff got a look at his mysterious companion. A lone figure was seen, looking around in every direction. The figure had a dark colored cloak on, which had a hood that covered their face so Kristoff couldn't figure out who it was. He could guess that the figure was a female since she was wearing a dress. The dress had a blue skirt with rose printing. Something about the dress look familiar to Kristoff but the figure started running again before he could get a better look.

 **"Did you see something?"** Sven asked.

"Yeah," Kristoff answered. "Wait here."

The ice harvester went in the direction the figure had went. No longer he can hear her footsteps or anything for the matter. Instead, he was greeted by the end of the Arendelle wall. The person was nowhere to be seen, however, there were footprints leading towards the end of the wall. They were muddy since it had rained sometime during the night, and they were defiantly fresh.

"That was...weird," Kristoff muttered. "Where did she go?"

After looking around, he concluded that the woman was no longer around. So he went back to Sven.

 **"Did you find someone?"**

"Yeah, but she vanished on me. What were they doing out here?"

 **"Maybe it was just someone taking a stroll?"** Sven suggested.

"Maybe…" As likely as it sounds, Kristoff didn't believe it. "Whatever they were doing, they're gone now. Let's get going."

The pair resumed their stroll back to Arendelle. The events that had transpired in those woods had never stopped itching Kristoff. What was the person doing out in those woods? Where did she vanish too? What did those footprints lead too? Who was she?

* * *

Midday was around and that's when the town was very busy. It was the perfect time for Kristoff. He managed to sell all of his ice blocks within a short time frame, which earned him a good enough of money for him to last a good while. In his book, it was a good start of the season.

"Kristoff!"

A cheery voice had interrupted him as he was cleaning it up for the day. Turning around, a small smile grew as he saw a familiar face. "Anna, hey!" The princess got off her horse and ran straight towards Kristoff and hugged him tightly. She almost knocked him down in the process. "A little too excited aren't ya, feisty pants?"

"Sorry. I just missed you."

"I've only been gone for a few days."

"And things get boring around here when you're gone."

Kristoff gave a laugh as he pulled away from the hug. Looking behind her, he saw that she had Kjekk with her.

"I'm guessing your dad lifted your horse-riding ban?"

"Yes! He's even allowed me to ride beyond the hill. Just as long I pay attention to my surroundings, and be back by curfew."

"You have a curfew now?"

"Yeah. Lame, I know, but it's a reasonable time. I'm just happy he's finally lightened up and trusting me to handle myself. Maybe you and I can go for a ride together sometime."

"I would like that."

"But I'm tired right now so I'm heading back to the castle. You wanna hang out? Lunch will be soon."

"I don't see why not."

"Sweet!"

The friends got on their respective steeds and rode back to the castle. They soon had arrived and put Kjekk & Sven in the stables. After making sure their animal companions were taken care of, they headed inside. No sooner did they walk in the Grand Hall, Kai had approached them.

"Hello, Princess Anna. And hello to you too, Kristoff," Kai greeted.

"Hi Kai. You need something?" Anna asked.

"Your father requires your presence in his study. He said it will only take several moments."

"Alright, I'll head over now. Could you take Kristoff to my room, please?"

"Of course, your highness."

"Thanks. See ya in a bit Kristoff."

Anna parted away and went one direction of the staircase. Kai and Kristoff had gone to the opposite. Not too long later they arrived at Anna's bedroom. After assuring Kai that he didn't need anything else, the servant left the ice harvester alone in Anna's room.

Even though Kristoff was a frequent visitor to the castle throughout the past several years due to his friendship with Anna, he sometimes felt a bit out of place here. Sometimes he had reminded himself that Anna was royalty and could one day become queen of the kingdom and he was just a simple ice harvester.

Despite his insecurities about his friendship, Anna and her family never did let that bother them. They may be royals, but they were human. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that. Kristoff has often heard people in the streets praising the royal family, making them out as grand deities of sorts. What Kristoff sees is the opposite. The royal family was just...a family. A family that loved each other very much and support each other, just like any normal family. They don't let their titles interfere with doing things just as any normal person would.

As Kristoff was sitting on Anna's bed waiting for her, he looked around her room. It was a bit messy, but Kristoff knew it was in Anna's nature. Something out of the ordinary did catch his attention. In the corner of the room, he noticed a section of the wall looked to be slightly sticking out. Now Kristoff knew it was wrong to go snooping around his friend's bedroom. Yet...he couldn't help but be a little curious. Making sure Anna, or anyone was not nearby in the hallway, Kristoff decided to look it over.

The part of the wall definitely looked out of place. It was sticking out much like a door. After feeling around it, he opened a wall, revealing a secret passage. This didn't surprise Kristoff. Anna had shown him the various secret passages throughout the castle, even explored some with her. They would even use them for their own mischief, like scaring the servants and guards into thinking the castle was haunted or stealing food from the kitchens.

Those fond memories pulled out as Kristoff realized Anna never told him about this passage. He thought that she probably only recently discovered it. That was the most logical explanation he could think of. Then he noticed the map on the inner door. Kristoff looked at the map that showed the passage through the castle and into the wall. The same wall where his mysterious companion from this morning disappeared nearby.

That had defiantly gotten Kristoff's attention. Was Anna the one who was in those woods this morning? He remembered the way the figure acted in those woods. They were acting secretive as if they were making sure they weren't followed.

Something then caught him from the corner of his eye. It was partially sticking out from underneath Anna's bed. Curiosity once again too over him again and he went to investigate. Lifting up the cover on the side of the bed he saw the contents. He recognized them as Anna's winter gear that looked to be recently worn.

Why would Anna have her winter clothes out in the middle of April? Then it hit him. On her boots looked to be dried mud on them, the dress had the same colored skirt with the rose printing as the figure, along with a dark colored cloak.

Now Kristoff was sure that Anna was the one in those woods. If so, why? Why was she secretive about it? And why did she had winter clothes? Remembering something, Kristoff let go of the cover and went back the passage and looked at the map. Near to what was supposed to be the wall was the mountain range. The only part in Arendelle where it snowed all year round.

He then also remembered something else from almost two months ago. Not too long Anna was brought back from the woods, she asked him questions about the mountain range. Questions such as trails, what areas to avoid, and other stuff. At first, he thought she was asking him that in the event she found herself lost again. Now he was sure that there was something there that she kept going back to. But what?

"Kristoff?" Anna's voice came from the hall.

Quickly, Kristoff shut the passage door and sat back on the bed, just before she walked in.

"Hey Anna," Kristoff greeted, acting like nothing happened. "What did your dad need you for?"

"Just some boring stuff. Nothing drastic. Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

The way he had sounded had earned him an odd look from Anna. He gave a simple smile and hoped she wasn't on to him. Thankfully, her face had softened back up after a bit.

"Alright…Anyways, tell about your ice harvesting."

From there on, things went on as usual as it can get for Kristoff at that moment.

* * *

 **"Slow down buddy! What's the hurry?"**

Kristoff had quickly guided Sven out of the castle and out into town, looking for a place of privacy. After that moment in Anna's room, things went on as normal and not once did Anna regain her suspicion. They hung out as normal and they both had lunch with her parents. As soon as he had finished, he told Anna that he had to leave because of some business he had to attend too. The moment he got back to Sven, Kristoff practically dragged the reindeer the whole way.

Not too long after leaving, they both found an alleyway that wasn't crawling with people. Kristoff took that moment to catch his breath.

 **"Care to tell why you dragged me from the castle and halfway across town?"**

"I think Anna was the one in those woods this morning," Kristoff blurted out.

Sven could only stare at his friend as he spoken that sentence. **"Are you sure?"**

To get him to understand, Kristoff explained everything. He told Sven about the discovery of the secret passage in her bedroom, the dried mud on her boots, and how her winter clothes matched the ones he saw the figure in the woods wore. Along those lines, Kristoff told Sven on his theory on how Anna might've been going to the mountain range

 **"You think Anna has been going to the mountains?"**

"I'm positive," Kristoff responded.

 **"But, why?"**

That was a good question. Lots of scenarios ran through Kristoff's head. None of which sound very pleasant to him. Nonetheless, he couldn't find his answer.

"I don't know."

 **"Are you going to tell someone?"** Sven asked.

"No. Not until I'm certain." Kristoff knew the most foolish thing he could do is tell someone based on assumptions, rather than actual facts. For all he knew, Anna could've just been going up there to enjoy the scenery or something. He most certainly doesn't want to send her parents into unnecessary panic, especially after what happened two months ago. "And there's only one way to be certain."

 **"You're not thinking what I think you're thinking..."**

"I just want to make sure she isn't going to get herself killed."

The ice harvester looked upon the mountain range just north of the town. Questions ran through his head. What kind of secret was Anna hiding up in those mountains? What was in those mountains that Anna didn't want anyone to know? Could she be in any sort of danger? He didn't know, and there was one way to know.

* * *

 **I forgot to mention this in the last chapter but I have put dates on all the previous chapters. Expect more of that from this point on.**

 **Anyways not much happens here. Elsa gets a lesson about royalty and family from Anna. And it looks as if our favorite ice harvester is getting suspicious on our dear princess's activities (I think we can agree he's such a caring & concerned friend). What is he going do, though? **

**Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading**


	25. Cold Introduction

**Cold Introduction**

 _The Next Night…_

The door on the end of the wall surrounding Arendelle opened and Anna emerged from the secret passage. A lantern was in one hand while she used the other to close the passage door. She then made her way up to the edge of the mountain range, just like she had been doing for the past two months. Unaware too her, tonight will be different.

A small while later, Anna had made it to the mountain range edge. Normally, Marshmallow would be here to carry her the rest of the way so that she didn't wear out herself from walking to The North Mountain and to save herself time. However, there wasn't any sign of Marshmallow. Taking out the pocket watch, she noticed that she had arrived much earlier than intended.

 _"Looks like I'm a little early."_ Anna thought.

Taking a one more quick look around for any sign of the giant snow creature, Anna sat on a nearby log. Lately, she had been feeling more tired so she didn't mind resting on the log. The lantern she had with her was growing dim. Fortunately, Anna had carried a small box of matches that her father uses for his cigars.

After setting the lantern on her lap, Anna got a match stick out and flick it against the box. Several attempts flick later, the top got a small fire. Anna lights up the lantern and blew out the small flame on the stick before flicking it on the ground.

"Aren't those your dad's matches?"

The sudden voice caused Anna to jump to her feet and went into a defensive stance. Once she saw the origin of the voice, she was relieved, but shocked to see who it was. And it came in the form of a blonde man leaning against a tree, with a reindeer behind him.

"Kristoff?!... What are you doing here?" Despite freaking out on the inside, Anna tried her best to play it cool.

Since his discovery yesterday, Kristoff had contemplated a plan to figure out what Anna was doing. The best solution he & Sven could think of was to camp out near the wall since they figure that's where Anna was sneaking out and have been doing it at night. They had no such luck the previous night, but Kristoff was one that doesn't like to give up so easily.

This night they once again camped out not far from the wall. It was proven successful as they saw Anna opening a secret door on the wall and went into the woods. They had followed her all the way to their current spot.

"I could ask you the same thing." Kristoff moved away from the tree and walked over to her. "Y'know, people who sneak up here only do it because they're hiding something."

"It's not what you think...I have a perfectly good explanation." As much as Anna tried to hide it, the nervousness in her voice can be clearly heard. It had grown higher once Kristoff had walked until he was several inches away from her.

"Look, Anna, Whatever you're doing, I just want the truth." Kristoff crossed his arms.

"The...truth?" In all honesty, Anna didn't what to do or what to say to him. She always knew that sooner or later, someone might start to catch on what she was doing. Kristoff was always on the top of the list of who to tell about Elsa first, but she didn't picturing it to be this way. "Uhh..."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Followed by the voice, small shards landed on the log near them, causing the pair to stumble backward. Quickly, they both looked in the direction of where the shards came from. There, Anna saw Elsa herself.

Typically, Marshmallow would often go alone to pick up Anna to take her to the ice palace. There were some occasions where Elsa would accompany him and tonight she had done so. When they got closer to the meetup, she heard Anna supposedly talking to someone, with an unfamiliar voice being followed up as well. Splitting ways from Marshmallow, Elsa went to investigate to see Anna next to a big built man. Seeing the girl's nervous & uneasy expression, Elsa fear that the man had come to bring harm.

"Anna run!"

Kristoff got his pickaxe out that was strapped on him and quickly dashed towards Elsa. Right now, the only thing on Kristoff's mind was to protect Anna from this woman. Unaware to him, Elsa had also the same intentions, but that was protecting Anna from him. Neither of each knew of their opponent's true relationship with the princess.

"No, wait!"

Kristoff ignored Anna's shouts as he ran over to Elsa. An ice spike as big as a small sword grew in Elsa's hand. Their own weapons clash against one another several times. Anna watched as everything played out and tried to figure out what to do.

 _"Oh, this is going so well."_ Anna thought sarcastically.

Elsa manages to knock Kristoff down on the ground. He barely had any time to get up and re-positioned himself as Elsa charged at him again.

"Nononono!"

Anna quickly ran and jumped between the pair with her arms sticking out, just before they could clash again. Back facing Kristoff and her full attention was on Elsa. From behind, Kristoff watch as Anna talked to the woman.

"He's just protecting me. He's a friend." Were the words Anna spoke to her, which seemed to work as the ice spike then dissipated from Elsa's hand and she seemed to relax a bit, but her full attention was still on Kristoff. "You just scared her." Anna faced Kristoff.

"I scared her?!" Kristoff got to his feet before his face paused as realization struck him "Wait, you two know each other?"

"Yes, we do…"

"Wha-How? Kristoff walked back a bit, still clutching his pickaxe. He had kept walking until his felt his back against something cold. Turning around, a huge white creature towering over him with a scowl on its face was what had greeted him. "What the fu-" was the last thing Kristoff muttered before the creature grabbed him and lifted Kristoff to his eye level. Getting a closer look, Kristoff can see that this creature was made of ice & snow.

"Anna! What is going on here?!" Kristoff shouted as he struggled to get free.

"It's a very long story," Anna answered.

"What is this thing?"

"That 'thing' is named Marshmallow," Elsa deadpanned as she walked closer to him. "Who are you?"

"My name's Kristoff. I'm a friend of Anna's."

Elsa seemed to soften up after he mentioned his relationship with Anna. However, she still kept her guard up as she asked him several more questions.

"Why are you here? Are you alone?"

"I just came here to see what Anna was doing. It's just me & Sven." Kristoff gestured to the reindeer, who was hiding behind some bushes. "I haven't told anyone about this."

"You haven't?"

"I swear!"

"I think that's enough questions, Elsa," Anna said.

"I'm just making sure he's not going to hurt us."

"Me, hurt you? You're the one who threw shards at us!" Kristoff retorted.

"If I really wanted to hurt you, I would've thrown them at your head. I just gave a warning shot. You're the one who made things worse."

"I made it worse?!"

"OK, enough you two!" Anna shouted loud enough for the two to stop their bickering. "Could you give us a moment, Kristoff?"

"Not like I'm going anywhere..." Kristoff sarcastically said.

"Okay. Just stay put, and don't make Marshmallow angry."

"Yeah, sure. Wait, what?"

Anna gently grabbed Elsa's arm and they walked several feet away until they were out of an earshot.

"Is that man really your friend?" Elsa asked.

"Yes, Kristoff is my friend. I told you about him several times," Anna had answered. "I promise you he is not a threat."

"He charged towards me with a pickax in his hand!"

"To be fair, you did kinda started it. Throwing ice shards at him is not exactly what I call making a good first impression." Elsa looked down at the ground, not saying a word to Anna. "But I know you were just trying to protect me. Kristoff was only doing the same. It's just all a big misunderstanding. He's a really sweet guy and he'll be the same to you once he sees you're not a threat."

Elsa only gave a huff in response as she crossed her arms. She glanced over to Kristoff, still in Marshmallow's grasp. As Anna took a quick glance at both of them, she got an idea.

"Why don't we take him to the palace?"

"To my home?!"

"You trust me, don't you?"

A small period a silence was around for a small time before Elsa answered. "Yes."

"I've known him for many years now and I swear he won't react badly or try anything. Trust me on this."

"...Fine. But Marshmallow keeps a hold on him until we get there."

"I promise that you won't regret this." Anna had a smile on her face before she ran back towards Kristoff. "How are you doing, Kristoff?"

"Aside from finding out that you're friends with a girl I've never seen before who can control this monster made of snow that has me in his grip, I'm doing s'well," Kristoff spoke it in a way that was trying to hide his uneasiness. "You ever gonna tell me what's your deal with them?"

"First of all, her name is Elsa and the snow monster is named Marshmallow. Second of all, I promise you that I will. But before I can, me and Elsa want to show you something."

"Okay, what do you want to show me?"

"We...have to go there."

"Go there?" Anna nodded. "Oh great. So you're kidnapping me now."

"I'm not kidnapping you! Don't be so dramatic!"

"Can you tell your friend here to let go of me please?"

"I can't do that. Only Elsa can."

"Then can you please tell her that then?"

"I can't do that either."

"Why?"

"She...doesn't exactly fully trust you so she's making Marshmallow hold you the whole way there."

"Wonderful...Can I at least have my arms free? I can feel my circulation being cut off."

"Can he?" Anna looked over at Elsa.

"Sure," Elsa replied after a moment.

Kristoff felt Marshmallow's grip around loosen a bit and pulled both of his arms out, but still tight enough for him to not escape.

"Better now?" Anna asked.

"A little. What about Sven?"

"Elsa and I will ride him."

"I'm not sure if I should be relieved or afraid. Remember the last time you rode Sven without me?"

"That was one time. Sven was still fine and I only got several bruises. I've gotten better since. Have some faith in me, would ya." Anna turned her attention to the reindeer. "Come over here, Sven." The reindeer was hesitant to move from his spot. Anna looked over to Kristoff, indicating she needed some help.

"It's fine, Sven," Kristoff assured his companion. _"At least I hope it'll be fine…"_

With that. Sven moved from his spot and headed towards Anna. She immediately greeted him with several pats on his neck

"Sven, meet Elsa. Elsa, meet Sven."

"...Hello." Elsa gave a small wave as Sven smiled at her. Despite that, Elsa was keeping her distance.

"What? You've never seen a reindeer before?" Anna asked, noticing her wariness.

"I've hunted some before." Sven gave a small grunt of shock at Elsa's response.

"She doesn't mean it, Sven. She was only joking." Anna petted his neck until he was calm. "Right, Elsa?"

"I wasn't jok-"

"Uh, let's get on Sven's back!"

The reindeer lowered himself to make it easier for both girls to climb on him. Anna was the first to get on his back with ease. Elsa, on the other hand, had a bit of trouble, but Anna managed to help her on.

"Comfy?" Anna asked.

"Uh, yeah," Elsa answered.

"I'm still unsure about this," Kristoff called out.

"You'll be fine," Anna answered.

Unknown to Anna, Marshmallow has his own ideas forming in his head. Nothing malicious but rather mischievous (his idea of mischievous at least) payback towards Kristoff for almost hurting Elsa. He then gave 'a look' towards Elsa, to which she replied with a simple nod. That's was all he needed.

"I promise you, Marshmallow is a gentle giant," Anna had assured.

At that very moment, Marshmallow had quickly dashed off, with Kristoff shouting like crazy. It took Anna second before she realizes what just occurred. She commanded Sven to follow the giant snow creature while being concerned for his friend.

"Marshmallow! What is wrong with him?" Anna asked Elsa, in which the ice wielder only gave a shrug. The kind of shrug one would give indicating they didn't know, but in reality, they did. An annoyed groan came out of Anna as she rolled her eyes before Sven managed to catch up to Marshmallow, who managed to slow down a bit. Still in his grip was an now uneasy looking Kristoff. Anna had tried her best to keep him calm. "He's normally not like this. I don't know what's gotten into him."

As Anna kept attempting to assure Kristoff, the group had ended up near a slope with trees down below. A mischievous smile grew across Marshmallow's face as he gradually started sliding down the slope.

"Oh no," Was what Anna muttered, as she watched Marshmallow slide down while hearing Kristoff screaming. "Elsa, what is he doing?"

"Marshmallow just having some fun. He's not going to hurt him." Elsa responded.

"The whole idea of this was to get Kristoff to like you! This is not the way to do it!"

The girls continue to watch Marshmallow as they still attempted to catch up. While Anna knew Marshmallow knew he wouldn't hurt him, it still didn't stop her from worrying about Kristoff's wellbeing. Especially when Marshmallow did some daring moves.

"And now he's spinning…" Anna had muttered at some point as placed her hand on her face. _"This just keeps getting better and better…"_

Soon Marshmallow quit his slide and resumed his rough running. The girls & reindeer soon manage to get all caught up. Sometimes Anna forgets that Marshmallow is a pretty fast runner despite his bulky size.

"Okay! I am sorry! I'm sorry! I'll cooperate!" Kristoff had said loud and clear. Loud enough for the girls to hear as well.

A quick glance was exchanged between Marshmallow and Elsa. The words from Kristoff sounded sincere enough for Elsa. Giving the giant snowman a nod, Marshmallow seized his running and started to walk much more calmly. The girls & Sven soon managed to get caught up to the pair. Anna and Sven managed to relax a bit to see Kristoff unharmed. The same could be said for the ice harvester himself, along with a slight surprise seeing how gentle the giant snowman is.

"See? Total gentle giant," Anna had said to him.

"Yeah…" Kristoff responded as he looked up at Marshmallow, who gave a neutral look. "Where exactly are we going, Anna?"

"You'll see soon. Just try to stay comfortable."

* * *

 _Later…_

"How much farther are we?" Kristoff asked.

"Not too far now," Anna answered.

"You said that fifteen minutes ago."

"Yes, and we're almost there."

As the group made their way to their destination, Elsa watch the pair made their exchange, most notably Kristoff. Up until this point, Elsa had only known of him through the several times Anna had mentioned him. He seemed to be friendly and didn't seem to have any ill intention towards them, but Elsa still kept her guard up.

Suddenly, Marshmallow had stopped in his tracks. In front of the group was a huge rock blocking their view.

"What's going on?" Kristoff asked.

"We're here." Anna jumped off Sven, followed by Elsa.

"We are?" Kristoff said unsurely as he looked around. "Does that mean I can be free now?

"Can he?" Anna looked at Elsa.

"Marshmallow, drop him," Elsa commanded.

Kristoff felt Marshmallow releasing his grip on him. This caused Kristoff to land face first in the snow, earning him a mouthful of a snow.

"Are you okay?" Anna ran to his side, along with Sven.

"Yeah, I'm-pff- fine." Kristoff spat out some snow as Anna helped him to his feet. "Where are we?"

"The North Mountain," Anna replied.

"All the way out here? For what?"

"Just let me show you. Please, Kristoff."

Anna stuck out her hand, indicating Kristoff to take it as well. He then took it and Anna started guiding him.

"Do you really want to do this?" Elsa asked.

"Trust me, Elsa. He'll love it." Anna said to her.

"Love what?" Kristoff looked at Anna oddly.

"You're about to find out." Anna gave a smile as she started guiding him.

The pair walked around the rock. On the other side lied Elsa's ice palace. All Kristoff could do at that moment was only look in complete wonder.

"Oh my God. Now that's ice..." Kristoff has softly spoken in awe. Gaze not leaving the palace once.

"Come on," Anna ushered him to move.

"Wait we're actually going in there?" Anna gave a nod to him.

The pair walked up to the ice staircase and started walking on it. Kristoff had lingered back to take his time just admiring the staircase alone. "Flawless…" Kristoff muttered as he gently touched the icy railing as he walked up.

Anna had made it to the doors first, watching Kristoff still admiring the ice structure as he walked up the stairs. A smile grew across her face. She knew exactly what she was doing and this was only the beginning.

Not too long later, Kristoff arrived at the top of the stairs. Anna opened the grand doors and let Kristoff go in first. Slowly, Kristoff walked inside and looked around the foyer. His eyes were glued practically around every inch of the room. The foyer stairs, the frozen fountain, the ceiling, everywhere. Each time he had looked in a different spot, his expression of pure awe had still remained the same.

Anna walked in several moments later and went to the foyer stairs. She called for Kristoff and gestured him to come with her. Kristoff followed Anna up the foyer stairs and up the staircase on the left of the palace. Soon they had arrived in the balcony room. Just like in the foyer, Kristoff looked around the room with the same look. His eyes especially lit up once he saw the chandelier.

His gaze had stopped once he heard more doors opening. Looking to the source, Anna was near to what lead to the balcony. They both walked onto it and Kristoff was astonished by the view of the mountain range. As they stood, the Northern lights then emerge in the sky. In the past, Kristoff had climbed many cliffs with many glorious views. None of which were nothing compared to this.

Anna had looked at Kristoff as she stared at the night sky. A sudden thought in her had told her that if circumstances were different...this would actually be quite romantic. She quickly pushed that thought out of her head.

"Awesome isn't it?" Anna spoke up.

"Yeah. It's pretty cool." Kristoff still had his gaze on the sky covered with the dancing lights. "All of this, its...amazing."

"You like my home?"

A voice behind the pair caused them to turn to see Elsa at the doorway. She had lingered back as Anna showed Kristoff around the palace and watched his reactions. The look on his face was the same one Anna had when she first revealed her magic to her. It was somewhat relieving to see that Kristoff was interested in her magic. Despite all that, Elsa still kept her guard up.

"Uh, Yeah! Ice is my life!" Kristoff exclaimed gladly before he paused for a moment. "Did you say your home?"

"Y-yes. I built it." Elsa answered as she walked a little closer to the pair, though still keeping her distance from Kristoff. "I have ice magic."

Kristoff gave an odd look to her. "Show me."

Elsa was caught off guard for that moment as she clasped both her hands together. She looked over at Anna, mentally asking her if she should. Anna's eyes had looked as if she was telling her, 'Let it go. Show him what you can do.' Lifting her hand in the air, Elsa made a small stream of snow. Then she did the same with her other hand. Kristoff watch the snow fall down, laying out out his hand as some of those snowflakes land on his palm

"Amazing…" Kristoff muttered. "All of this its just...wow. I might cry."

"I won't judge," Anna spoke up.

"What's all the commotion in here?" Olaf waddle onto the balcony. The sight of the snowman startled Kristoff a bit. "Hi, Elsa. Hi Anna! Hi…" Olaf paused as he noticed Kristoff's presence. "Who's the funky looking donkey?"

"Donkey?" Kristoff exclaimed.

"Hi, Olaf. This is Kristoff. He's a friend of mine," Anna said.

Kristoff took noticed on how Anna had talked to the snowman. The way she had casually talked to him indicated that they were familiar with one another. It did make him wonder how long this was going on. Those were answers he'll get later hopefully.

"Hi, Kristoff! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" The snowman exclaimed.

"Uh, hello." Kristoff gave an awkward wave. Just when he thought this night couldn't get any weirder & crazier.

"He's one of Elsa's creations. Like Marshmallow." Anna brought up.

"Is there more of...like him and Marshmallow?"

"Yeah, but they're way smaller. We call them Snowgies. Some of them should be around."

A thud was suddenly heard. It sounded like it had come from the foyer. Everyone headed to the large room to see Sven slipping all over the foyer. Marshmallow had just stood and watch as the reindeer made each attempt to stand up only to slip again. Quickly, Kristoff went over to his companion's side.

"Alright, take it easy boy. I got ya." Kristoff helped Sven to his feet and got him to stand up properly. "There you go, buddy."

"Who's the reindeer?" Olaf asked.

"That's Sven." Anna had answered.

"Hi, Sven!" Olaf waddled his way towards Sven. "I'm Olaf and it's nice to meet you." When Olaf got a little closer, Sven tried to take a bite out of Olaf's carrot nose. "Aw! Look at him trying to kiss my nose. I like you too!" The snowman had spoken in a baby voice, not knowing the reindeer's true intentions, before hugging Sven's neck.

"They like each other," Anna mentioned to her two friends as they watch.

"Yeah..." Kristoff had replied. Elsa, on the other hand, had remained silent.

Before anyone could say more, squeaking noises were heard. Coming down the stairs behind the three people were all of The Snowgies. The little snow creatures all stop to gaze upon Kristoff.

"Anna, what are those?" Kristoff asked.

"These are the Snowgies I told you about," Anna said,

"Little brothers!" Olaf exclaimed. "This is Kristoff!"

Without any warning, the Snowgies all started to crowd around Kristoff. They were ganging up on him so much, Kristoff fell on his butt. This meant more opportunity for the small snow beings to jump all over him.

"What are they doing?" Kristoff asked.

"That's how they say they like you," Anna answered.

"I think I'll like them more if they're not jumping all over me!"

"Uh Elsa, could you-?

Knowing what Anna wanted. Elsa signaled over to Marshmallow. With a roar, the snowgies knew that meant they had to get off. Once they were cleared, Kristoff managed to get on his feet.

"Sorry about that. They get a little too excited sometimes," Anna said.

"I can see that," Kristoff stated, before taking a glance at every individual in the room. "So all these guys are your friends?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"We've been friends for months now," Olaf suddenly blurted out.

"Months?" Kristoff exclaimed.

"Yep!" Olaf replied with a bright smile. "Are you and Elsa friends now?"

"I uh…" Kristoff stuttered, not sure what to say. While he knew that Elsa wasn't any sort of threat, he still didn't know what to make of her. Elsa, meanwhile, had also the same thoughts about him as well.

"They haven't decided yet. Right guys?" Anna spoke up, likely wanting to avoid any awkwardness between the pair.

"Uh yeah. I need to think about it," Kristoff played along.

"Yeah," Elsa also added as well.

"Oh...Well, I sure hope you'll decide soon. I would love to have more friends around!" Olaf exclaimed happily.

A small yawn then came out of Anna's mouth.

"Are you okay, Anna?" Elsa asked. "You've been yawning a lot."

"Yeah. I guess I'm just tired…"

"Maybe you sure go home and rest."

"But I just got here. That would be rude."

"And I don't want you hurting yourself."

Kristoff watches the way the two girls exchange. Just by the way they talked and events beforehand, it was very clear to him that Anna & Elsa were indeed close friends, much like himself & Anna. It did make a lot of sense. This Elsa girl was willing to fight him as a means to protect Anna. These creatures made of snow didn't seem to faze Anna at all and were really friendly to her, including Marshmallow. However long Anna has been visiting this Elsa was long enough for the two girls to care about each other's feelings.

"I swear Elsa, I'm not...tired."

Another yawn came out of Anna's mouth before eyes started closing and started toppling over. It would've had a painful landing on the floor had Kristoff not quickly ran over to her and landed in his arms. "I got her."

"Is she okay?" Elsa asked.

"She's fine. Once she sleeps properly" Kristoff assured her. "I guess lack of sleep must be catching up to her."

"Anna's been feeling more tired a lot recently. The last time she was here she fell asleep here for several hours."

"How often does Anna come here?"

"Several times each week during the night."

That had answered some of the questions Kristoff had. But he hasn't gotten the full story and he knew he wasn't going to get it from Elsa.

"I better take her home." Kristoff stood to his feet with the sleeping Anna in his arms and started to walk out, with Sven following him. Before they could leave, Marshmallow had blocked the exit. "I'm just going to take her home. I'm won't hurt her." The giant snow creature still didn't move though, so Kristoff looks over to Elsa, with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Let him leave, Marshmallow." Elsa had commanded.

Marshmallow looked at Elsa and then towards Kristoff. After several moments, he moved away from the exit.

"Take care of her now," Elsa said before she switches to a more stern look. "Because if anything happened to her..."

"I promise I'll get her home safely," Kristoff said.

Those words seemed to help Elsa relax a bit. With that, she watches Kristoff & Sven head for the doors.

"Wait!" Elsa called out, causing Kristoff to stop. What Elsa said next was something he didn't expect to hear "It was...nice to meet you."

"It was...nice to meet you too." While Elsa sounded somewhat sincere, Kristoff was more awkward.

Once again Elsa found herself watching him & the reindeer leave the palace with Anna. Soon all three of them were gone.

"He seems nice. I like him!" Olaf blurted out. "You think we'll see him again?"

As much Elsa wanted to agree with him, she just wasn't sure. He seemed to be very kind, but she wasn't sure if he was willing to befriend her.

"We'll see, Olaf. We'll see."

* * *

The feeling of someone nudging her head was felt as she slowly opened her eyes. Along with a voice that was heard.

"Wake up, Anna."

"Ugh...five more minutes, Gerda…" She mumbled drowsily.

"Wrong person."

"Huh, what?" Once Anna fully opened her eyes, she realized she was snuggled up against Kristoff's chest. A small red blush formed on Anna's face as she pulled away in her embarrassment, not knowing they were both on Sven. This resulted with her falling off the reindeer and onto the ground.

"You alright, sleeping beauty?" Kristoff jumped off Sven and went to Anna.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Anna rubbed the back of her head. "What happened?"

"You apparently had a lack of sleep. My guess is that it finally caught up to you in that ice palace. I took you back afterward."

"Back where?"

Looking up, Anna saw that they were near the wall that had connected to the castle.

"I figure you would've preferred to be here rather than at the front gates," Kristoff added.

"Oh, thanks…"

Instead of heading to the passage, Anna had remained sitting on the ground, with Kristoff next to her. As she went through her thoughts, she could feel Kristoff looking at her. She had a pretty good guess why.

"I guess I owe you that explanation."

"Uh, Yeah," Kristoff responded. "It's not every day you find out your best friend knows a woman who has ice magic. How long have you two known each other? When did you meet? Who exactly is she?"

The was a period of silence before Anna spoke. "Remember back in February when I got lost for a few days?"

"I much rather not…What does that have to do with this?"

"The day I got lost is when I first met her. After I barely manage to get away from those wolves, I tried to walk home but I ended up getting lost. I probably walked for hours and that's when that blizzard struck." Anna paused, for the next part of the story was something she knew would hard for Kristoff to hear. "I tried to find shelter but the blizzard made so hard to see and walk through. I tripped on something at one point. I tried to fight to keep going, but I was so cold and tired. I just gave up and lied in the snow ready to accept my fate before passing out."

There were many things Kristoff wanted to say at that moment. Yet none could describe the sense of shock he could feel. Anna had never told him that she almost lost her life. Nonetheless, he continued to listen.

"I guess what happened next, which I could only think as a miracle from God, Elsa somehow found me and took me back to her home where she helped me recover."

Anna stated before continuing on. "Those three days I was gone, I spend with Elsa. She showed me her ice magic, showed me around her home, and I befriended & played with her creations. In that short time, we all become close. I stayed there until the day I went home."

"But if you were staying with Elsa, what were you doing in the woods where I found you?" Kristoff asked.

"Apparently, a few of the Snowgies were away from the palace and spotted the rescue group you were in. They overheard someone say your name that's how I knew it was you. I didn't want you guys to find Elsa and the others so I left to go find you."

"I see."

"Anyway, after that, Elsa was always on my mind. I couldn't just forget about her and move on, not after everything we've been through. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her. That's something I don't I think could ever repay her for. With papa putting my horse riding ban I had to find another way to see her. Just my luck there was a secret passage in my bedroom. Just almost 2 weeks after I was brought back, I used it to sneak out and went back to see her. Since then, I've been sneaking out of the castle several times a week at night to visit her."

"Is the reason why you visit her is because you do it out of gratitude?" Kristoff asked.

"Partially, but it's much more than that. As I gotten to know her, she became more than just someone who saved my life. I...I never told anyone this before. My whole life I felt like a part of me was missing." As she said this, Anna moved her hand on her chest. Specifically where her heart is. "You remember when I told you about my...sister?"

Kristoff nodded his head. A day after Anna's parents summoned her, she told them what they had told her, that she had a sister that was stolen from her family just months before Anna entered the world. All Kristoff could do was feel pity and offered his sympathies to Anna and her parents, even giving Anna a hug. He knew what it was like to lose someone yet he couldn't fully relate. While Kristoff's parents were gone, he at least knew that they were dead. Anna's sister, on the other hand, was taken from her family, never to be seen again, while her parents spent years afterward not knowing their child's true fate. That is a pain he cannot imagine himself going through and hope he would never experience.

"When mama & papa told me about my sister, I figure she was the reason why I felt this. That didn't mean it went away. The strange thing is that whenever I'm with Elsa that part of me doesn't feel empty. It feels...full. We've become almost like sisters."

"You really care for her that much?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Of course not, it's that...Most people who disappear into the mountains want to be alone."

"Nobody wants to be alone. You of all people should know that."

Kristoff didn't even bother to say a word after that.

"I know you might see her as some ice sorceress, but there's more to her than that." Anna continued and Kristoff perks up to further listen. "Elsa hasn't had an easy life. She's spent ten years living alone on that mountain since she was 8 years old. I don't know much about her life before that. From what I can gather, she doesn't have any family and the only people in her life had abused her. Elsa is one of the nicest people I know and she didn't deserve to go through all that."

Kristoff did not utter a word for several moments until he asked a question. "Why didn't tell me about her? Why did you keep this? Do you not trust me?"

"What?! Of course, I trust you! I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure how you would react. It's not I could say 'Hey I'm friends with a woman who can make snow magic' without any context."

"Oh, right…" Kristoff rubbed his arm. "Sorry. I didn't mean come as harsh. Learning all of this...I just feel kinda hurt that you didn't tell me. For a moment I thought you hid this was because I told your dad that you go beyond the hills when you got lost."

"If it makes you feel better, you were always the first person I plan to tell about Elsa. I had and always will trust you."

"That does make me feel better." Kristoff gave a small smile. "So no one else knows about this?"

"Aside from you, I haven't told anyone. Not Kai, not Gerda, and not even my parents."

"I figure you didn't tell your parents. Otherwise, you wouldn't be sneak out here in the middle of the night."

"You are right about that." Anna had replied with a chuckle. "By the way, how did you know I was sneaking out?"

"I uh…" Kristoff started to get a bit nervous as he rubbed his neck.

"Wait...Did you snoop through my bedroom?!"

"No!" Kristoff lifted his hands up in defense. "You didn't close your secret passage door all the way. And your winter gear was sticking out from underneath your bed."

"Oh...shit." Anna slightly face-palmed herself as she muttered those words.

"You probably should be more careful if you want to keep this a secret, feisty pants."

"Right...Wait, you're not going to tell anyone?"

"I may not fully understand your relationship with Elsa..." Kristoff paused. "But I can see how much she means to you. I give you an ice harvester's promise that I won't say a word to anyone."

Before Kristoff could react, he felt being pushed to the ground as he felt arms wrap around him. On top of him was Anna, who repeatedly said. "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! This means so much to me!"

"That's what friends are for," Kristoff said before he remembered their predicament. "Uh, you can get off of me now."

"Huh?" Anna lifted herself and realized that both she and Kristoff were laying on the ground. Her face flushed red once she realized she was on top of him. "Oh sorry." Anna quickly got off of him.

"It's cool. No hard feelings," Kristoff assured her as he sat up, while also tried to hide his flustered self as well.

"I guess I should call it a night." Anna stood on her feet and head over to the wall. She then opened the secret passage door. "Kristoff?"

"Yeah?".

"Thank you again. You're really a good friend."

A smile grew across his face, unsure what to say. "Night Anna."

"Goodnight Kristoff."

Walking into the passage, Anna gave another look towards and waved at him. He gave a wave back as Anna closed the passage. She made her way through the tunnels and was back in her room. After changing into her nightgown, she got on her bed and reflected on tonight's events over and over. At one point Anna wondered that now Kristoff knows about Elsa, maybe one day they could all properly hang out together. Though that may never happen. Still, just having at least Kristoff knowing her secret and not telling anyone about Elsa was enough to comfort Anna and took some pressure off. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

That night, Anna had dreamed that she, Elsa, and Kristoff were hanging out together. The three of them were having some sort of picnic, while Sven was playing with Olaf, Marshmallow, and The Snowgies. Everyone in the dream looks so happy and having fun. It was the best dream Anna had ever had. One she hopes would come true.

* * *

 **First thing firsts, this story had recently turned a year old. When I first started this I didn't expect to get this many. I just want to say to those who's still sticking around, thank you so much. Your favs, follow, or reviews mean a lot to me and help keep me motivated. I hope you all will still stick around to the end. Once again, thank you!**

 **Now about this chapter, Kristoff and Elsa finally meet! I'm not sure if I like how this chapter ended up. I had made it longer than I thought and I think some of the characters may feel OOC. But like I said before, characters in AU's aren't typically 100% the same as their canon counterparts. Still, I hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and are satisfied with the result.**

 **And I think we can all agree that Kristoff is such an awesome friend. And we'll get more Kristoff & Elsa interactions. And look, more *notsosublte* How To Train Your Dragon references!**

 **I did say romance (Specifically KristAnna) won't be the focus in the story...but I did say I'll leave hints.**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading:)**


	26. A Frozen Heart Worth Mining

**A Frozen Heart Worth Mining**

 _Several days later..._

In the dining hall, Agdar & Idun were already seated with their breakfast in front of them. They were waiting for Anna to join them. This wasn't unusual for them to wait for her since Anna isn't a morning person and would often sleep in. This was common knowledge among her parents and very often either they or send Kai or Gerda to make sure she was awake. They had done the former and were now waiting for their daughter.

The dining hall doors open, with Anna walking in and approached the table.

"Good morning Anna," Agdar greeted

"Morning pa-ah-ACHOO!" A loud sneeze from Anna caused both of her parents to jump in surprise.

"Goodness! Bless you, Anna!" Idun quickly spoke up.

"*sniff* Thanks." Anna wiped her nose as she sat down.

As the rulers observed their daughter, they noticed something unusual features. Anna's nose had redness around it. There was very tired look in her eyes and the not lack of sleep kind of tired. Idun was the first to speak up her concerns.

"Are you alright sweetheart?"

"I'm fine mama. I heard we're having waffles for breakfast. When will they be ready?"

"They're in front of you." Idun pointed to a waffle that was already on a plate in front of Anna.

"Oh."

"Are you sure you're alright Anna?" Agdar asked. "Those waffles are fresh. Surely you could've smelled them from the hallway."

"My nose just feels a little runny. I'm sure it gets better la-" A series of loud coughs came out of Anna's mouth before she could even finish her sentence.

Of course, her parents quickly went to her side during her coughing fit. To confirm their theory, Agdar places his hand on Anna's forehead. Underneath his palm, he could feel Anna's slightly burning skin. That what was all he needed.

"Idun, get the doctor."

* * *

 _30 minutes later..._

"Well princess, you are most definitely sick."

"ACHOO!"

The doctor gave a handkerchief to Anna before she blew her nose into it. She had been laying on her bed, letting the doctor examined her while her parents stood not far from her.

"How bad is she, Doctor?" Agdar asked.

"It's nothing serious. Your daughter had caught a simple cold. A few days in bed should help her recover," The doctor had explained.

"A few days? But I'm not that sick. I feel fine. I can handle a little sneezing and-" Another coughing fit had come out of Anna that lasted for several moments. "...coughing."

"I know you're an active person, princess, but the best way to recover is for you to rest. Moving around too much may make you sick longer."

"I understand…"

"Good." The doctor packed up his supplies before getting up and went to the king & queen. "Like a said, a few days in bed should help her recover along with some medicine. I would also recommend to give her healthy food and stay away from treats, including chocolate. Let me know if something out of the ordinary happens."

"Thank you, Doctor Lee," Agdar said.

"It is my duty, your majesty. I wish princess Anna for a good recovery. By the way Queen Idun, my wife says hello."

"Tell Jennifer my shared sentiments," Idun said.

"Will do. Good day, your majesty's, your highness." The doctor respectfully bowed before leaving Anna's bedroom, leaving only the monarchs and a clearly unhappy Princess.

"Do you need anything, sweetheart?" Idun asked.

"To be out of this bed," Anna deadpanned.

"You heard what Doctor Lee said, Anna."

"But I'm not even that sick. I just have a simple cold, not the pla-ah-ah-AHCOO! *sniff*...plague."

"Plague or no plague, you need to rest. And that's final." Agdar gave Anna rather a stern look.

"Fine," Anna replied rather glumly.

The king & queen observed their daughter's behavior. Something about her was...different. In the past when she had gotten sick, Anna would usually complain a bit before giving in. Here, she genuinely sounded desperate to get out of bed. Agdar decided to address this behavior.

"Is everything alright, Anna? You sound really upset. Is there something we should know about?"

"I uh…" Anna stuttered. "I had plans to hang with Kristoff today since he's leaving again tomorrow to go ice harvesting."

That wasn't a lie for Anna did plan to spend some time with Kristoff today. However, that wasn't the reason why she was upset.

"I'm sure he'll understand and wouldn't want you to risk your health," Agdar said.

"I guess." Anna crossed her arms.

"But that doesn't mean you'll deal with this alone. Your mother and I will help you."

"Oh, you guys don't have to. I'm sure you're both must be busy today."

"Nonsense. We can spare a day taking care of you. Family comes before duty," Idun said.

"I should ask Kai to clear our schedule for today," Agdar brought out.

"And I'll make some of my specialty medicine. I'll go make some right now."

"I think I much rather die from the plague than drink that stuff," Anna said as soon Idun left the room, while also making a small gag sound.

"I can agree with you on that," Agdar agreed. "Don't tell your mother I said that."

That statement earned at least a small chuckle from Anna.

* * *

 _Several Hours Later…_

Lunch had come around and Anna was finally left alone in her room. Throughout the rest of the morning, her parents had spent nearly every moment taking care of her. While Anna appreciated it, she had been getting a bit annoyed. Once they had been informed that lunch was soon, Anna managed convinced them to take a break. Knowing them, Anna figured at least one of them would bring her food and eat with her. At least she'll get a few moments to herself.

A knock was heard at her door. "Come in."

"Anyone ordered a nice warm bowl of soup for the sick princess?" A familiar male voice entered the room as the door opened. Who opened it wasn't her father or even Kai.

"Kristoff!" Anna beamed before another coughing fit came out.

"Take it easy, feisty pants." Kristoff placed the soup on a nightstand and went to her side. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

Kristoff chuckled. "I can imagine."

"What are you doing here?"

"A little birdie told me that you were sick and that you were upset."

"How?"

"Some guards might've come to my cabin to tell me that. Apparently, you had plans to hang with me."

"Oh, mama, papa..." Anna placed her hands on face to hide her embarrassment. "I'm sorry about that, Kristoff."

"It's fine. There were only two guards, not the entire army."

"Still, they don't have to over dramatic about everything. A simple written message would've done the trick."

"Hey, I really don't mind. I think it's a good thing that they didn't do that. Knowing you hate being stuck in one place for too long, I think you could use the company. Besides your parents that is…"

"You're right about that. They've been all over me all morning. I appreciate what they're doing, but geez, let me have time to myself. Not like I'm going anywhere."

"How did you get sick?"

There was no immediate answer from Anna. Instead, she had a look of hesitance.

"Is anyone in the hallway?" Anna asked.

Even though he was a bit confused at that question, Kristoff got up and went to the doorway. He also stuck his head out in the hallway. He gave a simple "No" as his answer.

"Close the door please." Kristoff did what Anna told him and shut the door and went back to her side.

"Any reason for this secrecy?"

"You remember...Elsa, don't you?"

"Y-yes…" Kristoff answered, not expecting that question. Though it had been nearly week since had 'met' Anna's mysterious friend, he never did ask much about her. Aside from the small questions, he would ask the several time he and Anna had hung out in the days afterward.

"The other night I visited her again. When I was walking back home, it started to rain and it poured. I was soaking wet the whole walk home."

"I see."

"Don't tell my parents."

"Hey, I made a promise. My lips are sealed."

Anna gave a smile before she ate her soup for a bit. No word was spoken from Kristoff as he looked in the other direction. Though what did came was something Anna didn't expect.t

"How is...Elsa? She doing fine?"

"She is. The last time I visited, she asked a bit about you."

"Did she?" Anna nodded her head. "Are you going to visit her again soon?"

"I actually had planned today to visit her during the day instead of at night, but I can't do that now. I just hope she'll figure that out and won't get worried." Anna rubbed her hand on her head and through her hair and just thinking. As she did, a sudden idea came into her head. Right as she looked at Kristoff. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" Instead of getting an answer, Anna just stared at him while giving him 'the look.' He immediately understood what she was indicating. "Wait, are you seriously suggesting…?"

"Yes. I just want you to let her know I'm sick. I don't want her to freak out if I don't show up."

"Are you sure she won't mind seeing me? In case you don't remember, it wasn't exactly a pleasant first meeting between me and her."

"It was just a big misunderstanding which we got past. Once you get to know her, Elsa's very nice. You two might some things in common. But if you want, you don't even have to spend time with her. Just go there and let her know I'm sick."

"I…"

"Please, Kristoff." Anna took his hand and squeezed it, a begging look in her eyes.

"Okay. I'll go and check up on her."

With that, Anna pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you."

"Like I said, What are friends for?" Kristoff returned the hug. "Should there be some things I should know about Elsa?"

"Alright. I guess to put it this way, Elsa is a bit...naïve. She's not very familiar with manners and social customs. So if she does something rude or makes you uncomfortable, she probably doesn't know it is. And try not to be harsh on her about it, she tends to be very sensitive. She's also a very eager learner and may bombard you with questions."

"That's a lot to keep note."

"The important thing is that please be patient with her.

"Got it. Patience. Anything else I should know?"

"She doesn't understand expressions, phrases, and idioms as well. Oh, and Elsa really loves food…"

* * *

 _The next day..._

The North Mountain is a place many would not consider visiting. Its year-round cold, snowy climate often had people turn away, even during the warmer months. Overall it's just a place no one would like to stick around too. At least that's what Kristoff had believed for quite a long time until several nights ago.

Standing not far from the base of the mountain, Kristoff found himself gazing upon it. He and Sven made their journey to the enormous mountain since earlier today. Had he not spent most of the previous day with Anna, he would've come much sooner. Nervousness was the only feeling he could feel. But he had made a promise to a friend, and friends don't break promises. Sacrificing some time of his ice harvesting expedition to do so wouldn't bring much harm.

"Come on buddy." Kristoff shakes the reins on Sven. "Hya!"

The duo made their way towards and up the mountain. It wasn't long till the sight of ice palace came into their view when they came to a stop.

"Stay with the sleigh, Sven."

Kristoff jumped off the sleigh and patted his companion, who just gave a happy look as he nodded. He then made his way to the base of the stairs while also admiring the ice palace yet again. It was still as beautiful as when he first saw it. He snapped out of his sightseeing and made his way up the stairs and to the doors. Walking up, he was muttering to himself.

"Come on, Kristoff. This is for Anna. You can do this."

Kristoff knocked on the doors. He jumped once he saw them opening on their own. Gathering the courage, Kristoff walked in. There wasn't any sign of anyone in the foyer.

"Hello? Anyone home?" There wasn't a response, but Kristoff still kept on going as he looked around. "I'm not an intruder. I'm just stopping by." He still didn't hear anything. That is until he heard what sounded like a thump. He looked in the direction of the noise but saw nothing. He turned back only to be greeted at the sight of Marshmallow towering over him, which had scared Kristoff and he tripped backward, landing on his bottom.

"Uh, hey, Marshmallow was it? Remember me?"

If Kristoff was trying to hide his uneasiness, he was failing miserably. Marshmallow just continued to stare down at him with a neutral expression.

"Well, I definitely remember you." A nervous chuckle came out of his mouth. His nerves had only risen when Marshmallow over his head much closer to the ice harvester. Kristoff wasn't sure what to do. He didn't even get the chance when a voice broke through the foyer.

"Marshmallow." They both looked to the sound of the voice to see Elsa on the foyer stairs. "Leave us."

With that, Marshmallow removed his gaze on Kristoff. Slowly, the ice creature exits the room, leaving only the ice wielder & harvester. Kristoff watched Elsa go down the foyer stairs. He couldn't help but look at the dress she was wearing. It wasn't like the old blue dress from last time. Instead, this dress was a much lighter blue, and much more beautiful (even though he can't figure out how she wasn't freezing in that dress).

Yet as he looked at her, he noticed something about her face, aside from the scar across her left cheek. This was only the second time Kristoff had seen Elsa, but he couldn't help but think that he saw her somewhere before. But where?

"Are you alright?" Elsa asked as she made it to the bottom, snapping Kristoff out of his thoughts.

"Uh, yeah." Kristoff got up to his feet. "I didn't mean to intrude. I knocked and your door just opened. So I let myself in."

"Elsa, is everything fine?" A voice came out.

"Yes, Olaf. It's only Kristoff."

"Kristoff's here?!" Olaf was in the room within seconds. "Kristoff's here! Do you remember me, Kristoff?"

"I do, Olaf," Kristoff replied.

"Is Sven here too? I wanna see him!"

"He's right outside."

"Thanks!" Olaf quickly waddles out of the room and outside.

"Why are you here?" Elsa spoke up.

"Anna sent me up here. She's not feeling well," Kristoff had answered.

"Why? Is she okay?"

"She just has a simple cold. Nothing bad."

"She's cold?"

"No, she has 'A' cold. It's a sickness that makes her tired, her body colder than normal, and she sneezes a lot. The best way for her to get better if she rests for several days. So...she won't be able to visit you for a while."

"She'll get better, right?"

"Don't worry she will. If all is well, she may be better for several days."

Olaf's cheerful laughter from outside was heard. Deciding to see what was going on, the pair head over to the door. They saw Olaf & Sven jumping around and simply playing together.

"Olaf seems to really like your reindeer. Sven, was it?" Kristoff answered Elsa's question with a nod. "He wouldn't stop talking him since we met."

"Really?" Kristoff asked.

"Yeah. I've never seen him get this close with any other animals I've seen."

"Hi, guys! What are you doing?" Olaf called out to them, while Sven just looked at them.

"Just watching you two." Elsa walked down the stairs, with Kristoff not far behind.

"We're just talking and playing! Right, Sven?" Sven only responded by trying to bite Olaf's nose. "Aw, he still trying to kiss my nose."

Both Elsa & Kristoff looked at each other before giving smile that was a mix of amusement, uneasy, and bewilderment to the snowman.

"Well…" Kristoff cleared his throat. "Me and Sven should probably get going now."

"But you just got here," Olaf added.

"I know, but I'm sure you guys don't want me bothering you."

"You're not bothering us! We're happy to have you here! Right, Elsa?"

"...Its no bother at all." Kristoff took notice of the way Elsa had responded. The tone of her voice indicated that she wasn't bothered, but also sounded she was unsure.

"That's really nice of guys, but even if I could, I can't. I'm kinda in the middle of an expedition. I'm already a day behind schedule."

"What expedition?" Olaf asked.

"I'm an ice harvester. I collect ice from frozen lakes and sell them."

"Do you go to Itch-...The Ice Hole?" Kristoff looked at Elsa questionably. "Anna told me that's where ice harvesters usually go."

"Uh, yeah. That's where I always go."

"It's also far from here. You'll be tired to do much when you get there. Not to mention between here and there, these woods have lots of predators."

"I appreciate your concern, but I think I can deal with it. Unless you happen to have an ice pond around here."

Neither Elsa or Olaf said anything. They just looked at each other for a moment before Elsa spoke.

"Could you follow us?"

* * *

Kristoff, along with Sven pulling the sleigh, were following Elsa, and Olaf. They were about a short distance away from the ice palace, and the mountain it resided on was still in their sight.

"Here we are." Elsa gestured Kristoff to look where her arm was pointing. In front of them was a huge ice lake of sorts. "You can take of look if you want."

Taking up her suggestion, Kristoff went on the icy lake and stood on it. "It's sturdy." He then taps his foot on the ice several times. "Hollow, but safe to walk on."

"The ice here is strong enough to hold up Marshmallow, so I think you and Sven will be fine." Elsa brought up.

"We used to ice skate here a lot a while ago!" Olaf brought up as he slides around.

"Will it do for your ice harvesting?"

"I...I think it will."

"Then this place is all yours for you to do whatever."

"Thanks." Kristoff gave a small smile.

"I...I'll leave you to your work now."

"Right. I better get started. See you later, then?"

"Uh, sure. Come on Olaf."

After Olaf managed to get off the ice, both he and Elsa left the ice harvester and reindeer alone. They made their way to the ice palace. They resumed their daily activities. Elsa hid away in her bedroom. There she cleaned around, rearrange items she had in her collection, looks over her homemade map, and practiced her magic for a bit, whatever she did to keep herself occupied. However, none of which had worked to keep her distracted from the nagging feeling in her head.

"Y'know you can go talk to him," A voice interrupted her thoughts, which Elsa soon realize was Olaf's.

"What makes you say that?"

"You have that look on your face." Olaf walked to her side. "The 'I want to do this thing, but I don't want to do that thing' kind of face."

"I do want to talk to him. My problem is that...I'm not sure if I can, or if he wants to. The only reason he's here because Anna asked him too. I didn't exactly make a good first impression by attacking him."

"He didn't seem to sound mad. I'm sure he's forgiven for that. We all make mistakes and I'm sure he knows that."

"Does he really?"

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to talk to him."

A feeling of deja vu swept over Elsa as Olaf made that statement. That last time he had said that was before Elsa revealed her magic to Anna, and look where that had led her. Perhaps it could be the same for Kristoff.

"I'll think about it," Elsa replied.

"Okay! If you need me I'll be hanging with Marshmallow!"

Olaf exited the room, leaving Elsa to her thoughts once again. She had reflected Olaf's words over and over. She often forgets that he could give good and wise advice. Goodness knows it was very helpful on her first days away from her Master.

After thinking for a while, she decided to go check up on him, just to see if he's alright. She left her bedroom and soon found herself outside of the palace. Several moments later, she had arrived at the ice lake where Kristoff and Sven had been occupied. Elsa did not immediately approach him, but instead, she had hidden and watched him. There was a section in the lake where columns & rows of blocks were seen cut in the ice. A couple of the blocks were seen floating in the water in a section looked to already been cut out, while several individual blocks were on the icy surface. Right now, Kristoff was using some sort of stick to pry another block of the ice. Several attempts later, the block had broken off and went into the water. Elsa watched the process about several more times.

As Kristoff moved onto the next block, Elsa looked over to the side and saw the sleigh he had brought with him. Curiosity seems to get the better of Elsa when she found herself walking to the sleigh and looked in. Several items had occupied in the sleigh. There was some weird looking claw-like contraption, along with something that resembled a saw. Plus an additional small bag of carrots.

Another object Elsa had noticed was weirdly shaped. The small wooden object was round on the bottom and slender on the top. There were also some strings on the object. Elsa put her fingers on one of the strings and stroke it. A 'ting' sound came from the string. Elsa stroke the string several times and she heard the same sound again and again. Finally, she stroked her hand across all the strings which all made the same sound. Elsa liked the sound and played with the strings on the object several more times, giving a small joyous smile as she did.

"Elsa, what are you doing?! Don't touch those!" Kristoff's loud voice made Elsa move away from the sleigh. The tone of his voice made sounded as he was upset, and Elsa knew what happened when she made people upset.

Although he knew he wasn't far from the ice palace, Kristoff wasn't expecting Elsa to come to the ice lake. And he surely didn't expect her to snoop in her sleigh. Instinctively, Kristoff yelled out to her. Once he saw the scared look on her face and remembered what Anna had told him yesterday did he realize what he had done. He didn't get the chance to apologize before she suddenly ran off.

"Wait!" Kristoff shouted, but Elsa was already out of view. He placed his hand on his face. "Ugh, I'm an idiot."

 **"You're right about that,"** Sven pointed out.

"Not helping, Sven."

 **"I know one thing that can help."**

A deep sigh came out of Kristoff's mouth. "I know."

* * *

Not too long later, Kristoff entered the ice palace. He found Olaf wondering around and asked the snowman about Elsa's whereabouts. Olaf informed him that Elsa went to her bedroom and pointed to the direction it was in. Soon enough, Kristoff found himself in front a door he's never seen before.

He knocked on the door. "Elsa, are you in there?"

Several seconds later, the door slightly opened. Elsa stood in the doorway.

"Hey, Elsa. Listen I just want to apologize."

"For what?" Elsa looked at him in confusion.

"For yelling and scaring you. I shouldn't have done that.

"I was just looking at your stuff. I didn't mean to make you mad."

"I'm not mad. What were you doing there anyway?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. You looked busy and I watched you ice harvest for a while. I saw your sleigh and wanted to look at it. I'm sorry."

The way she had spoken had sounded so sincere. Kristoff could tell that she wanted to be friends with him but isn't sure if she could. He had felt the same way about her. During his time on the frozen lake, he had been thinking about how to approach her. He should at least become acquainted with her, for Anna's sake.

"Listen, I know we both had a shaky start. I admit I had my doubts when I first met you." Elsa looks at Kristoff warily. "When I saw Anna interact with you, I was wrong. I might not fully understand you, and you probably don't understand me as well, but you seem like a very nice girl and I'm willing to try to be friends with you. Or at least get to know you better. Please."

Still standing in her doorway, Elsa just looked at him as his words echoed in her head. He did seem really sure that he wanted to do this. While she knew he was friendly, she just wasn't how friendly. Then again he is Anna's friend. If Anna trusts him then maybe Elsa should do the same.

"Alright. I'll give you a chance."

Kristoff smiled. "Thank you."

"Would...would you like to come in?"

"Sure."

Moving to the side, Elsa let Kristoff walk into her room. The ice harvester looked around the huge room.

"This your bedroom?"

"Yeah."

"It looks nice." Looking around more, Kristoff noticed the table of Elsa's collection of items. "What's this stuff?"

"Just some things I founded over the years. People tend to drop them a lot."

"Including this map? Must've been pretty careless."

"I actually made it."

"Yourself?" Kristoff asked, clearly surprised. Even more so when Elsa nodded. "So you can make ice magic, collect stuff, and make maps."

"And the night sky too." Lifting her arm up, directing Kristoff to look at the ceiling where he saw the many star constellations and moon phases and spots.

"You're a surprising person, Elsa. Not to mention really talented. If I could do any of this stuff I probably wouldn't harvest ice for a living."

"But you're a good ice harvester."

"Well, it helps keep food on the table."

"How does harvesting ice do that?"

Kristoff gave an odd and confused look at Elsa when she said that. Then he remembered Anna mentioning that Elsa doesn't understand expressions. He gave himself another mental slap. While Anna told him of Elsa's naïveity, he didn't expect it to be this bad. Anna was not kidding around.

"I'll explain that later."

Kristoff moved his attention around the room again. This time he noticed something near the window. He walked over to get a closer look. What he saw were two ice figurines, one of which was the lone figurine of Anna. The other figure was a pair that looked to be ice skating. Like the previous one, this figure had Anna along with a figure that resembled Elsa.

"You made these too?" Kristoff asked.

"Yes."

In the corner of this eye, Kristoff noticed a price of cloth that looked to be covering something not far from the ice figurines. "What's this?" He moved his hand near the cloth.

"Wait! Don't! I'm still working on it!" Elsa shouted.

But Kristoff had already removed the cloth and revealed what was underneath it. There were several more ice figurines, but it wasn't Anna or Elsa. One figurine had resembled Kristoff having his right foot standing some sort of block, right hand resting over his leg while the other rested on his hip. The other one looked similar to Sven who tilted his had and gave a big happy smile.

"Is this me and Sven?"

"Y-Yes…" Elsa had answered. "I made them to not long after we've met. I was bored and I don't meet many people. I wanted to remember what you look like to in case I didn't see you again. If you don't like them then I'll get rid of them."

"I do like them. They're really nice."

"You do?" Kristoff nodded. "Did I get everything right?"

"You got me right, but you really nailed it on Sven."

"Thank you."

"I still can't believe the fact that you made all of this yourself."

"Well, it's not just me. There's Olaf, Marshmallow, and The Snowgies. It's just us. One happy family."

A sudden thought came into Kristoff's head once Elsa had said that word. It had reminded him of a certain detail Anna had mentioned to him. He decided to ask her a question.

"What about your real family?"

Elsa looked at him for a moment before looking away. A somber expression grew across her face. Kristoff figure he probably crossed a line.

"Is it difficult to talk about?"

"I really don't know. My parents weren't in my life. Even if they were I don't really remember them."

That made Kristoff raised his eyebrow a bit. How does she not know? Surely there was a reason why they weren't in her life. Then again, Anna did mention Elsa was in the care of other people in her early childhood. The best guess Kristoff could probably make is that Elsa's parents were most likely dead.

All that aside, he felt sympathy for her. For he shares Elsa's feeling. Maybe Anna was right. Perhaps he and Elsa were more similar that he had thought. "I know what that like."

"You do?" Elsa looked at him interestingly.

"My parents died when I was young. After that, I was pretty much alone. Lived the life of a mountain man. Kinda like you, except for the ice magic."

"How am I a 'mountain man'?"

"Mountain woman technically. Basically, you live on a mountain, or generally out in the wild and not among people. That's how I was for while after my parents died."

"What happened to your parents?"

Kristoff took that moment to take a deep breath. "They were ice harvesters, like me. My dad was the best and my mom would help him out. One day, there was an accident while they were harvesting. They didn't make it."

"...I'm really sorry."

"It was a long time ago, and I've moved on, but thank you. I have a new family now, including Sven, and Anna of course."

"How do you know Anna?"

"We've known each other for years. I was about twelve and she was nine when we first met. She got separated from her parents because she wanted some chocolate but got lost. She bumped into me and I offered to help. We got close and we've been friends since. She really made an impact on my life."

"She did?"

"Yeah. After my parents died, I pretty much wanted to be alone. Sure I had Sven and my current family but I still kept to myself. I guess mostly because I was afraid of becoming close to anyone out of fear of being hurt again. When I met Anna she changed that. She taught me that friendship is a very valuable thing and that no one truly wants to be alone."

"Anna sure does has a way with people."

"Oh, you bet," Kristoff said with a chuckle. "Everyone down in Arendelle pretty much loves her."

A smile grew across Elsa's face before she decided to ask Kristoff another question. "Do you miss them. Your old family?"

Kristoff sighed. "I do. I think about them at least once every day."

"How do you cope with it?"

"I just remind myself that while they may be dead, they're not truly gone, as long as we remember them and keep their memory alive."

"Is that why you're an ice harvester? Because you wanted to keep your parent's memory alive?"

"I guess in a way, yeah. I still keep pieces of them close to me."

Elsa's eyes widen suddenly as he made a realization. "That stuff in your sleigh, was it theirs?"

"Most of it."

"And that's why you got upset when I was near them." No answer came out of Kristoff.

"You didn't know and I shouldn't have reacted like that. Its just...that equipment means a lot to me. I know this sounds cheesy but when I have their stuff I feel them watching over me whenever I'm on the ice. In a way, they're still with me."

"Sorry for messing around with them."

"Like I said, its fine and you didn't know. Though for future reference don't go looking through other people's stuff without their permission."

"Is that inappropriate?"

"It's considered rude. And illegal in other cases."

"Illegal?"

"It's like a rule you're not supposed to break. If you do break it, you can get in serious trouble."

"Oh. Okay. I'll remember that."

Neither of them spoke another word to each other. Elsa took a quick glance out of a window and broke the silence. The time had almost come for sundown.

"It's about to get dark soon. Shouldn't you finish your ice harvesting?"

"I probably should. I still have a lot of work to do. Ah well, I suppose there's always tomorrow."

"Why not I help you?"

Kristoff looked at her oddly. "You want to help me ice harvest?"

"I don't see why I can't."

"Ice harvesting is not exactly an easy job."

"From what I saw, you just cut the ice into blocks and take them out of the water. Sounds easy to me. You don't want my help."

"I would like your help, but trust me, Elsa, it's a lot difficult than it looks. And dangerous if you don't know what to do. Not to mention you're not even dressed properly."

"I've climbed high mountains, jumped from cliffs, fought off wild animals, and faced harsher elements. I think I can handle collecting ice. And what's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

 _"Now I can see another reason why Anna gets along with Elsa. She's just as stubborn as her!"_ Kristoff thought.

"Okay, if really want to, I'll let you help out. But your dress…" A pause entered the air. In actual truth, there were LOTS of reasons Kristoff wanted to give for his opposition of her dress, but it seemed Elsa was oblivious to the fact. "...Your dress might be restrictive."

"Restrictive?"

"Ice harvesting requires a lot of leg movement. Your dress might not give that much room for your legs."

Elsa looked away in disappointment. Then her face brightens up as she got a small idea. Moving her hand to her right side, she pointed two fingers and some magic came out of her fingers and gave a twirl. Kristoff watch as the fabric of her skirt begins to split apart a bit, exposing her right leg. Elsa had created a slit on her dress. Once Elsa was done, she looked up back to Kristoff, who looked bewildered.

"How did you do that?"

"This dress is also made out of my ice magic as well." Elsa simply answered. "Now can I help?"

* * *

"So what are these things for again?" Elsa held up and looked at ice tongs as she walked alongside Kristoff on the icy lake.

"They're for picking up the ice blocks out of the water," Kristoff answered. "Ice blocks are difficult to pick up and we can't use our hands for that. That's what the ice tongs are for."

"How do get the ice block?"

"I cut a section of the ice lake into small blocks. Once that's done I use this…" Kristoff held out a fork bar. "...to pry the ice off."

"And that's what we're doing?"

"Yep. I pry an ice block off and you lift out of the water. Got it?" Elsa nodded her head. "Then let's get to it."

Both Kristoff and Elsa made it to their positions, with Sven right between them. Kristoff stood to where the ice blocks haven't cut off while Elsa stood not too far from. She watches Kristoff pry the ice block off for several moments before it finally broke free.

"Here it comes!" Kristoff called out.

Elsa stood in place and watch the ice block float to her. When it finally was near enough, she put the tongs on the ice block. As she tried to lift it up, the ice block slipped out of the tongs. She tried it again but it slipped, this time splashing some cold water on her face. Sven was kind enough to lick some of the water off of her face. After several moments of standing in small shock from Sven's lick, Elsa attempted to try again but it had once again slipped from the tongs. Elsa yell in frustration each time this had occurred.

"Fuck! Why can't get this block!"

 _"Yep, Elsa has defiantly been hanging around Anna a lot,"_ Kristoff thought.

"The blocks are often heavy, so it's always hard to pick up the first few tries." Kristoff walked to her side and attempted to help her. "Maybe I should..."

"Don't touch me!"

"Woah, easy!" Kristoff to jump back and lifted his arms up, while also shocked by Elsa's tone of voice.

"Sorry. I don't like being touched."

"All right." All Kristoff could do was shift his eyes awkwardly. "I'm just trying to help you out."

"Thank you, but I can do this. Let me try again."

Giving Elsa some space, Kristoff watched as she attempted to use the tongs to pick up the block. Unlike previous times, Elsa had finally made some success. A bright smile came across her face and she held the ice block in the tongs.

"You did it!" Kristoff exclaimed.

"I did it! I told you that I could...Oh shit!" The weight of the ice block was pushing against Elsa. This had caused her to stumbled backward. Luckily Sven quickly went behind her and stopped her stumbling. Once she regained her balance, she set the ice block on the ground.

"Nice you job you did. Next time, though, just set the ice on the ground right afterward," Kristoff said.

"I remember that," Elsa agreed. "Should we finish?"

With a nod, the pair resumed back to work. Kristoff would pry the ice blocks off and Elsa would pull them out of the water. Elsa still struggled for a bit but after a while, she managed to pull the ice blocks with a breeze. Within the hour they had finished collecting all the ice blocks from the section. Right when dusk had finally settled.

"Is that all of them?" Elsa asked.

"Yep. All we have to do is load them all on my sleigh."

They both looked over to the many of the ice blocks they both had collected, including some of the ones Kristoff had broken off earlier. An idea popped into Elsa's head.

"I know who can help with that." Elsa then gave a very loud whistle. Several moments later, loud stomps were heard which soon revealed to be Marshmallow. "Could you help us put the ice blocks on Kristoff's sleigh? Carefully, please." Marshmallow gave a nod and he gathered several ice blocks in his hands, with Kristoff and Elsa bringing their own as well, and stacked them in Kristoff's sleigh. In a span of five minutes, all the ice blocks had been loaded.

* * *

Night had fallen and the only light seen around The North Mountain was a fireplace at the edge of the frozen lake. Occupying it was Kristoff, who was making dinner, and Elsa. Kristoff had offered Elsa to eat dinner with him. While he was finishing up, she saw Marshmallow watching Sven and Olaf chasing each other on the ice. The snowman was giggling with joy. He had sure grown fond of Kristoff's animal companion.

"Order up."

Kristoff's voice turned Elsa's attention back at him. She saw him pour a mushy, liquid substance, along with some bulky contents, into to bowls. Kristoff then handed the bowl to her.

"What's this stuff called again?" Elsa asked.

"Vegetable stew." Kristoff took a bite.

Elsa used the spoon to scoop the stew. After inspecting the contents for a few moments, she put the spoon in her mouth and ate the food. Or more like stuff every bite she took in her mouth.

"Take it slow now. You'll get sick if you eat too fast."

"Sorry…" Elsa seized her eat frenzy. "This is just really good."

"Thanks. I don't usually consider myself a good cook."

They both resume eating their food, with Elsa eating at the much more slower pace than before. Neither of them utters a word to each other for several moments until Elsa spoke up.

"Are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Since I met my quota, I gotta get back to sell the ice blocks."

"Will Anna be better when you get back?"

"Maybe, but I don't think she's fully better. I'll check on her when I do get back to Arendelle."

"Will you come back? Here?"

"To harvest ice? Most likely since this is a really good place."

"And will you come back to...spend time together as friends?"

"Do you want me to?"

"I...would like that. But do you?"

"...Yes." Kristoff answered after a moment. All Elsa could do was respond with a smile, before Kristoff gave the same thing.

A loud thump was then heard from the ice lake. They both look to see Olaf and Sven chasing the former's carrot nose. The pair were running around the ice while tackling each other as well, fighting for the right to earn that carrot. After Olaf seemingly gotten the upper hand, Sven suddenly slides into the snowman, while breaking him apart in the process. Olaf quickly put himself back together but even so it was too late. Sven had claimed victory and put the carrot in his mouth. Olaf looked down at the ground, wallowing in sadness over the loss of his nose. That until Sven put the carrot right back on Olaf's face. A happy smile came across Olaf's face before he thanks Sven and patted his head. A true friendship had finally formed.

Along with another.

"Seems like they're good friends now," Kristoff pointed out.

"We are all, right?" Elsa asked.

"Right."

Today, Kristoff might've mined many ice blocks. However, none could be more important than the one thing had ultimately mined: Friendship. Like an old song he would often hear other ice harvesters sing, he found a frozen heart worth mining. Needless to say, he's no longer have to worry about things between him and Elsa. Anna would most definitely be happy to hear that.

* * *

 **Oh boy did I have trouble writing this chapter...I would would like to apologize for taking this long to post it. I've always planned a Kristoff/Elsa for this story, but I've struggled a bit on what and how to write it out. It may feel sloppy in some parts and I'm sorry if the ending seemed rushed. Overall, I really hope you guys like the final result of this chapter.**

 **Anywho...We have a Kristoff/Elsa chapter. Nothing wrong with a little IceBros, is there? But if you guys are curious the next chapter will have Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff together.**

 **That small bit with Olaf & Sven fighting over Olaf's nose I got from the first Frozen Teaser trailer. And there should be a reference to a certain someone who was part of the Frozen team. I figure 'why not'?**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	27. On My Way

**On My Way**

Seeing a princess, or any member of royalty, in the castle kitchens would be considered odd, or even downright scandalous in most places. That was not true in the case of Princess Anna. Very often she came into the castle kitchens to grab some snacks, or sneak some treats before dinner. It was pretty much expected by this point. Sometimes she would often like to talk with the chefs and they don't really mind her company.

Today she was not doing any of those things. Anna had spent a good portion after breakfast making and packing food into a picnic basket.

"Hello, Princess." A tall man in chef's attire approach Anna.

Anna gave a friendly smile. "Hi, Remy. How's your brother?"

"Emile is still his usual self. I see you're in for a busy day. Need any help with that?"

"I'm good, but thank you. Just prepping a picnic with Kristoff."

"I don't want to judge but that's a lot of food for just two people."

"I'm a growing girl...I need all the energy I can get."

Remy shrugged. "You're the princess. If you don't need anything, then I hope you have a good day."

"Thanks, Remy."

Anna put the final contents in the basket and left the kitchens. She practically ran through the hallways in an excited rush, with good reason. Her cold had gone away just a few days ago and she was happy to be out of bed. Her plan for the day was having a picnic with Kristoff, along with hopefully another certain of hers.

Today was the day she finally gets the chance to visit Elsa during the daytime instead sneaking out of the castle at night. Even better, Kristoff had even tagged along several times. Anna was super thrilled when Kristoff had told her that he and Elsa developed a friendship. During the time Kristoff was with Elsa, Anna had been worried about how they handle each other's presence. Hearing that the two bonded, including harvesting ice together, had made Anna really happy. Now today is the chance that all three of them could spend time together.

In her hurried rush, she had almost run into father. "Sorry, Papa."

"Where are you off to in such a rush?"

"Spending the day with Kristoff after spending an eternity stuck in my bed."

"You were only sick for a week."

"Which is an eternity in my world."

"Only you would think that."

Anna chucked. "Anyways, I'm heading out. Kristoff should be waiting for me in the courtyard. I'll see you later."

"Anna!" Agdar called out, Anna turned to face him. "I...I hope you have a good time."

"Thanks, Papa."

"And be back by-"

"...by sundown, I know,"

Anna resumed walking down the hall, giving a final goodbye to her father. She soon made it to the castle courtyard and head for the stables. Already there to greet her were Kristoff & Sven.

"Hey," Kristoff hugged her. "What took ya?"

"Had a little talk with papa. You ready?"

"Sure."

Anna got onto Kjekk, and Kristoff did the same with Sven. They rode alongside each other through the courtyard and through the gates. Agdar watches the pair from the balcony of his study that was right above the courtyard. Laughter from the pair echoed throughout the courtyard. A small smile grew across Agdar's face.

"You know it's only a matter of time."

"For what?" Agdar turns to see his wife.

Idun smiled playfully. "Don't act like you don't know there's something between them."

Agdar figure what Idun was going on about. Anna was at an age where she started showing interest in boys, no matter how hard Agdar tried to deny that.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they both do get together," Idun added. "I think they make such a lovely pair."

"Don't you think Anna is too young for that?"

"She'll be turning fifteen in two months, dear. Are you against her being with Kristoff?"

"Of course not. Anna can be with anyone she wants, prince or commoner, just as long they make her happy. Kristoff very much proved that he's capable of doing so. Should he and Anna ever start courting, they have my full blessing to do so. It's just...Anna's our baby girl. Our remaining child. I don't want to let her go."

"I know that, but you know Anna won't rely on us forever. Someday, she'll get married and have children of her own. But that doesn't mean we'll be out of her life. We'll be there when she needs us."

"I know..."

Idun smiled at her husband. "Seeing Anna and Kristoff together brings me memories what you and I were like we were young. You were always so bashful and shy around me. I remember you were so nervous we had our first kis-OH!" Idun felt a small pinch on her posterior. She looked over to see Agdar, who had a cheeky grin on his face.

"You forgot to mention playful, love."

Idun's grin went from flustered to...inviting. "Playful you say?" She inched closer to Agdar. "I think you and both know who's the playful one."

"Are you challenging me, dear?"

"Are you up for it?"

Agdar wrapped his arms around his wife. "I don't have anything important to do this afternoon...So yes, I am up for it."

A cheeky grin grew across the queen's face. Both monarchs went back inside the study, quite eagerly, and closed the balcony doors.

* * *

The cold wind blew against Anna and Kristoff as they rode up The North Mountain on their steeds. Thankfully, Kristoff had some spare warm clothes for both of them to wear, making walking through the mountain much more bearable. Kjekk let out a whine as another breeze was felt.

"I know, boy." Anna patted her horse's neck. "I know you don't like the cold, but we won't be here long. On the bright side, you get to meet Elsa. You'll love her."

"And this is why I stick with reindeers." Kristoff patted Sven's neck.

The sight of the Ice palace soon came into view. The two friends halted their animal companions and got off of them.

"Shouldn't you secure Kjekk first?" Kristoff suggested.

"I trained him better this time," Anna said.

"Fine, but if he runs off, I'm telling your parents it was your fault."

Anna playfully rolled her eyes.

They both walked up the icy staircase which leads to the massive doors. Giving a loud knock, the doors opening, revealing Marshmallow poking his head out. He looked around before he noticed the two people below him.

"Hey, Big guy!" Anna hugged the giant ice creature's leg. "You miss me? Cause I missed you."

Marshmallow gave a smile as he patted Anna with his huge hand. As soon she broke away, the snow creature noticed Kristoff, who gave a small smile. Kristoff now knows not to fear Marshmallow, but admittedly still feels a bit intimidated around him.

"Hi." Kristoff gave a wave.

Marshmallow responded by leaning down, giving a puff of his icy breath on Kristoff, leaving frost all over the ice harvester.

"AH, Cold!"

"That's just how Marshmallow shows that he likes you."

"I bet he does…"

Marshmallow chuckled at Kristoff's dry statement.

"What's going on here?"

Marshmallow moved over to the side revealing Elsa and Olaf right next to her. Her eyes lite up once she saw who was at the doorstep.

"Kristoff, Anna?"

"Hi, Elsa, how've you-" Elsa quickly went over to Anna, giving her a hug. A tight hug. "...been?"

"I'm so glad to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too, Elsa."

"I was worried."

"I had a small cold. Nothing to worry about," Anna assured. "Now...can you please let me go. I can't breathe."

"Oh! Sorry." Elsa released Anna from the hug.

"Wow, you're much stronger than you look. And I thought Kristoff gave big hugs."

"I heard that," Kristoff stated.

"What are you doing here, Anna? It's not nighttime."

"I had some free time today, so I decided to visit you. And I wanted to invite you to have a picnic with me and Kristoff."

"What's a picnic?"

"It's when we eat food outside."

"And you want me to come along?"

"Yeah. Figure it would be the best opportunity for all three of us to hang out in the daytime for once. Do you want to come? I brought chocolate."

"I...guess I would like to come with you both."

"Going where?" Olaf suddenly appeared at the doorway. His face brightens at the sight of Anna before running towards her and wrapped his stick arms around her legs. "I'm glad you're back, Anna. It's felt like forever since you been here!"

"Well, I'm here now."

The snowman removed himself from Anna. He then hugged Kristoff.

"Hey, little guy." Kristoff patted Olaf's head before he pulled away.

"Where're you going, Elsa?"

"Anna and Kristoff invited me to have a picnic with them."

"That sounds fun! Can I come?"

"Is that alright with you two?"

"Of course," Anna said.

"I don't mind," Kristoff added. "But wouldn't he…" Elsa flicked her hand and a small cloud appeared over the snowman's head. "I guess he can come then."

"Sweet!"

Unlike the snowman, Marshmallow gave a disapproving grunt.

"'I'll be fine, Marshmallow." Elsa patted his leg.

"Don't worry, Big Guy. Nothing will happen to Elsa. I promise." Anna assured.

The giant snowman gave a look that pretty much said 'you better'. He then gave an approving nod before closing the massive doors. The four members walk down the icy stairs and back to horse and reindeer.

At the bottom, Kristoff begins to prep Sven and Anna started to prep Kjekk. As she did, Anna noticed Elsa was several feet away and staring at the horse as if...she's never seen one. Knowing Elsa, Anna figure that was the case.

"He's a horse."

"What?"

"I was just letting you know what animal he is."

"Oh…" Elsa paused. "Can I...pet him?"

"Sure. Be a little careful, he can a bit…" Elsa had already started to pet the horse's snout. To Anna's surprise, Kjekk had remained calm. "...Skittish."

Elsa continued to stroke Kjekk's snout. "He's soft..." The white horse then nuzzled Elsa's face, giving out a happy neigh. "And a big sweetheart too."

"That's...odd. Kjekk is normally not this calm around people, except for me and my parents. It took him months for him to warm up to Kristoff."

"Maybe he just really likes me?" Elsa suggested.

Anna shrugged. "Eh, maybe."

"Where are having the picnic?"

"We some places in mind, but haven't decided yet."

"Can I suggest a spot?"

"What do you have in mind."

"There's a place not far from here that I think you both might like it."

"Woo! Roadtrip!" Olaf cheered. "I'll call Sven!"

Everyone proceeds to get on their rides. Anna & Elsa on Kjekk, and Olaf with Kristoff on Sven.

"How long will be till we get there?" Anna asked Elsa.

"Not too long."

"I know what we can do to pass the time!" Olaf stood on Sven's rear end, clearing his throat. He then proceeded to sing.

 _"Tell everybody I'm on my way!_

 _New friends and new places to see!_

 _With blue skies ahead yes_

 _I'm on my way."_

Kristoff was clearly discomforted by the snowman's singing voice."Is he going to be like this the whole way?"

"Once he starts, it's kinda hard for him to stop," Elsa stated.

A groan escaped from Kristoff as Olaf sang his next verse.

 _"And there's nowhere else_

 _that I'd rather be!"_

* * *

As the North Mountain was the only place that snows year round, the rest of the country follows the seasons as accordingly. Spending the past ten years living among the wild, Elsa had seen a lot of areas with beautiful landscapes. All of which would've been great spots for picnics. There was one spot she liked the most.

Elsa helped guide her friends to the spot she wanted to show them. Olaf had continued his singing and was about to start up his next song.

 _"Bees'll buzz,_

 _Kids'll blow dandelion fuzz,_

 _And I'll be doing whatever snow does_

 _In summer!"_

"Are we there yet?" Kristoff spoke up.

"Look ahead."

Both Kristoff and Anna did what Elsa suggested.

In front looked to be a huge glen that had a small lake. Surrounding the lake were pine trees, and trees with string like leaves. Also, there were three waterfalls. A huge one on top of a huge rock wall, and two small ones overlapping each other on the bottom.

"Woah."

"Would this place be good for the picnic?"

"Oh Elsa, it's perfect!" Anna exclaimed.

With that, everyone started to settle down for the picnic. They sat near the edge of the lake with the waterfalls in their view. Once everything was unpacked, everyone started to eat their food while Olaf wanders around the glen. Elsa munched down on the chocolates, along with the other foods Anna had brought.

At one point, Anna introduces Elsa to sandwiches. She hands over one that she made herself.

"My own recipe. I call it 'The Anna Surprise'."

"The surprising part is that you won't get sick from eating it."

Kristoff had earned himself a small punch on his arm from Anna.

Elsa gave a confused look. "Why would I get sick?"

"Let's just say I tried to make parents food once and...it didn't end well."

"You gave them food poisoning," Kristoff stated bluntly.

"You poisoned your parents?!"

"Not that kind of poisoning!" Anna assured Elsa. "It means they get really sick. They were better after a few days...And banned me from the kitchen for a few months. But I gotten better."

Elsa brought her attention back to the sandwich, giving a double glance both at Anna and the food before biting down on it. She gave several munches before her eyes lit up in joy and practically devoured the sandwich. The friends continue to have their picnic until all the food was completely gone, mostly eaten by Elsa. Kristoff was certainly surprised by the amount of food the ice wielder had consumed. He was half convinced at some point that Elsa's stomach is a bottomless pit.

With their bellies full, the trio laid down on the picnic blanket, looking at the clear blue sky, hearing sounds of Olaf's joyous laughter as he played with Sven. They all remain on that way for a good while, relaxing in silence. Until a small groan came from Elsa.

"Elsa?" Anna sat up. "Are you okay? It's isn't from my sandwich?"

"No, I've been having them all day. It's nothing."

"I don't think you would be clenching your stomach if it was nothing," Kristoff stated.

"It really isn't. I've...had them before." Elsa gave a small pause. "Every once in a while, since I was twleve, these cramps come and last for a few days. When it comes I...bleed."

Anna gave an interesting look. "Bleed? Where?"

"Just...Below. I also get really hungry, and angry easily. I don't know how and why I do bleed. When it first happened, I thought I was dying. After a while, I just assumed maybe my magic had something to do with it."

"Oh, Elsa...It isn't."

Elsa gazed at her friends in confusion, but she took notice of their expressions. Kristoff seems as if he was uncomfortable about something, as indicated by the small blush on his face and rubbing the back of his neck. Anna gently took Elsa's hand, a compassionate reassurance in the young girl's eyes, rubbing her hand.

"Elsa...What you get has nothing to do with magic. It's something completely natural. I get it too."

"You do?" Anna nodded. "Does Kristoff get it?"

Just the way Elsa had asked was enough to make Anna almost laugh. Anna had expected Kristoff to be flat out uncomfortable and try to stay out of the conversation. But she was surprised by what he said next, especially in a calm matter.

"Uh, no. It's only somethings women get."

"Why?"

Both Kristoff and Anna looked at each other, trying to figure how to explain so. Anna thought back to what her mother had told her when she first bled. Thinking about it carefully, Anna decides to use the same words her mother had told her and to keep it simple.

"Men & women bodies have their own ways of telling them that they're adults and can do adult things when they get older. For men, they grew hair on their face and other parts of their bodies. For women, we bleed down below. Does that make sense?"

"I think so…"

A new expression grew across Elsa's face. From what Anna could make out, it was a mix of relief & assure. The kind of expression one would make when the final got an explanation from something they've wondered about for a long time. It also served as another, painful reminder to Anna on just how isolated Elsa really is. When Anna had her first flow, she had her mother there to explain and help guide her through it. Elsa had to deal with it alone, without the guidance of a mother, or anyone for the matter, and she doubted that Elsa's snow creations knew what to do too.

It did make Anna wonder...If Elsa didn't know something important as her...monthly flow, what else did she know, or may not know about? Was she not aware of simple things that many people knew by the time they were old enough to properly interact with others, or at the very least when they first took their steps?

"What'ca you guys talking about?" Olaf came waddling towards them.

"Oh, nothing," Elsa answered. "Do you need something, Olaf?"

"Yes! I noticed it was getting windy and that got me the idea. Can we take Anna & Kristoff to the hill?"

Anna's expression grew to a curious one. "Hill?"

* * *

"Woah...this is a big hill."

Not too far away from the glen, Elsa had led her two friends to the top of a huge hill with a long steep incline hill down below them. The hill was slightly tall enough that the tops of the forest's treelines can be seen.

"I know," Elsa said to Anna.

"It really is," Kristoff glances down at the very long slope below them. "Why you bring us here?"

"I wanted to show you guys this. On this hill, the wind blows strong enough it can keep you suspended in the air for a bit."

"You're kidding, right?"

A sudden strong breeze had started. Elsa moved to the edge of the top got on her toes, her arms spread on her side and let the wind keep her in the wind.

"Cool," Anna state.

"Give it a try," Olaf said as he joined Elsa.

Both the princess and ice harvester decided to follow with the snowman's suggestion. They went by Elsa's side and copy the same posture she had made. They both let the wind push against them, feeling weightless among the breeze.

"Woah!" Anna shouted. "It's like I'm flying!"

"Ditto!" Kristoff agreed.

"You both might want to get down," Elsa, who was back on the ground, told them.

"No way! This is totally fu-"

What follows next were the small shouts of Anna and Kristoff as they started rolling down the hill the moment the wind stopped blowing. Elsa quickly went down Olaf not too far behind. She made it to the bottom and was relieved to see her friends fine. Unfortunately for them, they had land in a mud puddle, most likely made from the recent spring rainfalls. Mud covered nearly every part of their bodies. They were obviously not happy about this predicament they had landed in.

"Ah geez. Gerda's gonna field day." Anna then shakes the mud off of her.

"Don't get it on me!" Kristoff shielded himself from the onslaught of mud.

Before Anna could reply back, the sound of laughter emerge. It was the sound of Elsa who was laughing. "What's so funny, Elsa?"

"Your hair, it looks funny."

"And spiky," Olaf added.

Anna looks into the reflection of a small puddle of water in the midst of the mud pit. Surely enough, her hair had looked spiky, as Olaf had said, probably caused by shaking the mud off.

"It's a good look on you." Kristoff gave a chuckle.

Not amused by his statement, Anna quickly rubbed her hands in her friend's hair and gave him a spinet mohawk hairstyle. More laughter emerge from Elsa and Olaf.

"Nice hair, Kristoff," Anna said playfully, giving a satisfied smirk.

"Oh, real mature, feisty pants."

"That's what you get for being a little j-"

A small force was suddenly felt on the side of her head, more mud splattering on her face. Anna turned to see Kristoff giving a mischievous grin.

"Two can play at that game, Bjorgman!"

Anna quickly scooped up a mud ball and threw it towards Kristoff. He dodges out of the way, but the mud ball hit Elsa instead. They both sat petrified, worried about how Elsa would react. Elsa stood in place with a baffled look, wiping the mud off. Her expression grew with excitement as she threw the mud at them, laughing as she joined in the pit.

"MUD FIGHT!"

Olaf scopes up his own mud ball and threw it. There was nothing but mud being flung at each other and sounds of laughter. For that moment, Anna didn't care how much mud had covered her or how other would react to her covered in mud. All it mattered to her that she and her friends were simply having fun.

* * *

 **Oh boy, do I have some explaining to do...**

 **To put it simply, my life has been hectic and crammed since I uploaded the last chapter. I've finishing up the last months of my state college, trying to pass my final classes, in the process of transferring to a university, started a rewrite of another fanfic I'm doing.**

 **I managed to get some free time and decided to use it to write this chapter before the hecticness picks up again, which is why this chapter may not be much, and little messy. Yeah, I think this chapter maybe the very definition of filler but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting. I still hope you guys like this chapter of Anna, Kristoff, and Elsa hanging out. The next time they do...let's just say it may be not as happy as this chapter was.**

 **And I've added a topic that maybe...uncomfortable for some of you, hehe...Sorry.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys had a good Thanksgiving. I sure did. I also saw _'Ralph Breaks the Internet'_ today, which I though was good. I've also put references to some Disney/Pixar movies (the title of the chapter should be a no brainer to one of them). And the glen is the same place where Anna  & Kristoff first meet Olaf in the movie.**

 **In other news, we're about a year away from _'Frozen 2'_ (huzzah!). And how 'bout that Lion King teaser?**

 **Thanks for the favs, follows (reached 100. Woohoo!), and reviews. Happy Reading.**


	28. Pains of the Past

**Pains of the Past**

 _May 1836_

The Northern Lights danced across the starry sky. On the ground below, Anna, along with Kristoff & Sven, made their journey to The North Mountain to visit Elsa. Since Kristoff and Elsa met, he too also joined along for the visits most of the time as well. They were trailing at the base of the mountain.

"You think Elsa will like Apple pie. Wait, why asking that? Of course, she will. She loves every food I bring to her."

"Should I even ask how you manage to sneak that out of the castle?"

"I have my ways."

Kristoff playfully rolls his eyes, muttering out "Of course you do". Their trek up the mountain goes on. About halfway through, however, they notice something unusual. The winds had been more hectic tonight. It had only picked up speed the closer the group got to the ice palace.

"The winds are really intense tonight."

The princess looked at the ice harvester. "Isn't that kind of thing normal for mountains?"

"Yeah, but not like this."

"Maybe it's one of those nights?"

Kristoff only responds with a shrug. As they continue on their journey up the mountain, the winds only proceeded to get stronger and stronger. It had gotten to a point where the two friends and reindeer had stopped to get their footing back because the winds almost knocked them over.

"Something's definitely wrong." Kristoff used his hands to shield his face from the cold winds. "It's almost a blizzard out here. That shouldn't happen for this time of year."

Anna too was busy blocking out the cold wind to even respond. As she peers through the wind, she manages to find the large Ice Palace. But something about it was strange. The structure was not its beautiful shade of blue. Instead, there was a tint of red shown and not the warm kind. It suddenly clicks to the princess.

"That's no blizzard!"

Without giving Kristoff a chance to respond, Anna started running to the palace, dropping the basket in the process. When Anna made it to the stairs, she heard a sound that she never heard before.

Elsa screaming.

Anna quickens her pace up the stairs, miraculously not slipping once and Kristoff soon got caught up at the top. Once inside, they notice the state of the Palace's interior. The entirety of the foyer is in a dark eerily red color, large spikes made of ice slowly grew from the walls, and the sounds of howling winds echoed throughout the palace. A piercing scream broke out.

"ELSA!" Anna shriek.

Both friends made a dash to the foyer stairs. Before they could climb the main ones, something tumbles down the main stairs and broke apart on the ground. That something revealed to be the pieces of Olaf.

"Anna! Kristoff! Am I happy to see you guys!" They quickly assemble the snowman back together. "So much better!"

"Olaf, what's going on?" Anna asks the snowman, frantically.

"Elsa's having a nightmare! Follow me!"

The two humans followed the snowman up the stairs that led to the bedroom. Near the top, they saw that the bedroom door is wide open with very intense winds blowing out. Surrounding it were several ice spikes. Kristoff walks a few steps to get closer before a gust of wind knocked him back. A small grunt of pain came out as his hand grazed one of the spikes.

Anna shouted out his name as she came to his side. "I'm fine." He said as he lifted up his had that had a fresh new cut that went diagonally across his palm. "It's a blizzard in there." A loud scream of terror echoed the air. Loud enough to leave one's ears ringing.

"ELSA!"

"I kept trying to wake her up, but winds blew me out of the room. Marshmallow is strong enough to go in, but he's patrolling the mountain. I don't know what to do!" Olaf said in a panic.

"I'm sure-" Kristoff didn't finish his sentence as Anna ran straight past him, into the blizzard-filled room. "ANNA!"

The bedroom is indeed a blizzard. Winds and snow blowing so hard, Anna couldn't see anything around her. Amongst the loud winds, she can hear Kristoff yelling for her to come out as it was dangerous. But Anna didn't want Elsa to suffer whatever is terrorizing her.

Ignoring her friend's pleas, Anna slowly made her way across the room. Any other person would get lost in this very room, but Anna knew this place all too well. She knew every corner that Elsa had shown her, where everything was placed, including the bed. Finally, after managing to stay on her feet, she made it to the bed. Elsa was thrashing around, screaming for whatever was hurting her to stop.

Anna lifted her arms and gently places her hands onto Elsa's face. She gently moves her head to face the princess.

"Elsa, it's me." Anna coaxed the ice-wielder. "No one's here to hurt you." Elsa seems to finally start calming down a bit, but the blizzard is still raging. "I'm here. You're safe." By this point, Elsa shown signs of relaxing and the blizzard is starting to calm down. "We won't let anyone hurt you."

Elsa's face started to appear to calm down. The blizzard itself is also dying down as well. The winds ceased completely after several moments. From the doorway, Kristoff and Olaf watch in amazement, though they were hesitant to move.

Finally, Elsa opened her eyes. Anxiousness was still in them. They only relaxed once she saw who was in front. "Anna?" She slowly sat up.

"Are you okay?"

A loud sob came out as Elsa suddenly wraps her arms around the princess, clutching onto her as if her life depended on it. Anna was caught off guard, not sure how to react at first. Hearing the cries from the older girl brought her senses back. All Anna could do is hold Elsa closer, offering the best comfort she can at that moment.

* * *

 _Later…_

Things at the palace soon quiet down after. The palace returned to its original color, and the ice spikes were all gone. But not all were well.

The bedroom was quiet as Elsa sat on the edge of her bed and Anna sat on an ice chair nearby. Marshmallow had returned not too long after Elsa woken up. A guilt written expression is on his face as he sat in a corner not too far. Olaf had assured the giant snow creature that he isn't to blame, but that didn't seem to change his demeanor. Several Snowgies had gathered around everyone, all with concern looks on their faces.

The door leading to the bedroom door opened. Kristoff came in holding an ice cup, and the now heated apple pie.

"How's everyone doing?"

"Alright, I guess," Anna answered.

Kristoff set the pie down on an ice table while handing Elsa the ice cup before sitting down in another ice chair. "Drink this. It should help calm you down."

"Thank you." Elsa accepted the cup from his hands and took a small drink. Anna took that moment to cut a slice of pie and gave that to her as well. As she ate, Elsa noticed the makeshift bandage around Kristoff's hand. "I'm sorry about your hand."

"This?" He lifted his bandaged hand. "Don't worry about it. I've had worst injuries. It doesn't even hurt." Kristoff tried to sound unaffected by this, but the guilty expression remains on her.

"Feeling better?" Anna ask.

"A little bit," Elsa answered. "I'm sorry you both had to see me like that. I was tired and I wanted to take a nap. Didn't think I would get another nightmare."

"Another? This happened before?"

"Often, but they're never usually this bad. It's mostly the same nightmare."

"About what?"

The room grew eerily silent. Elsa turned her head away from her two friends. Her eyes both have a mix of downcast and fear. Both arms crossed over her stomach, clenching both of her sides as if she's about to be sick.

"Olaf, could you, Marshmallow and The Snowgies leave them room?"

"Are you sure?" The ice wielder gave the snowman a nod.

Olaf and Marshmallow gathered all the Snowgies before they all exited the room, leaving only the three humans.

Elsa got off the bed and bend down. She seemed to be trying to find something before her arm pulled out. In her hand revealed to some sort of gauntlet, similar to the ones Anna had seen on knight armor displays in the castle. At first, nothing about the gauntlet seemed out of the ordinary. But Anna noticed how unusually small it was compared to the other gauntlets she remembered. Then once she saw how small it was compared to Elsa's hand did it occur to her. That gauntlet was small enough to fit a child's hand.

"Elsa, what is that?"

"Do you remember, around when we first met, when I told you about the men and that treated me badly?"

"Yeah."

"Did ever tell you how they treated me badly?"

Anna was quiet for a bit before saying, "No. What does this relate to your nightmare?"

"I wasn't simply kept there. I was locked up."

The room fell silent after Elsa blurted out those words. Anna and Kristoff gave each other odd looks. They both were worried and afraid of what Elsa may say next. Anna brings her attention back to the ice wielder.

"Locked you up?"

"My memory isn't really good, but for a time I was always kept in a room. The first few months were quiet. The only visitors I had were men that came by to drop off food and other things. They all weren't nice, and didn't really to care about me."

Elsa stopped herself for a moment.

"There was one man who checked on me the most. His name was Fritjof, my 'caretaker' if I can even call him that. He never told about my parents, only that they weren't important. At first, he seemed like a decent person. Whenever I did something he didn't like, he would get mad. He told me to never use my powers unless he's around, and if did caught me breaking his rule there 'consequences'. At the time I didn't know what that meant. Until one night I realized...just how far he'll go."

* * *

 _15 years ago…_

 _Elsa lied on her bed staring at the ceiling. The small room she is in had only a bed and a small lantern as a light source for when it got dark. She was very bored, so she decided to do what she did when she was bored. It wasn't long until a pile of snow laid in her room. It wasn't very big because Elsa didn't want to let anyone know what she was doing. But she wasn't that worried since it was night where everyone should be sleeping._

 _Elsa loves using her magic. It's the one thing that made her life more...fun. So far she hasn't been caught yet. Besides, what harm is there with her using her magic to have fun?_

 _Elsa rolled up a huge ball of snow and put it on top of a pile. She conjured several ice balls and place them on the top. What she created resembled a snowman._

 _"There you go, friend. Now you're perfect!" The young girl admires her work. "I know what we can do!" With a tap of her foot, the floor beneath her freezes. She then starts skating around, holding her snowman as she does. A series of excited giggles escaped her. They were sounds of pure joy._

 _That all ended when she heard the sudden shame of a door. Elsa stopped dead in her tracks to look to the door. Standing there is a tall man, with dark hair and equally dark eyes. Eyes that were filled with anger. This man was none other than her caretaker, Fritjof._

 _"Master?" Elsa spoke timidly, scared for what may happen next. "I thought you were sleeping?"_

 _Despite the anger in his eyes, Fritjof replied to her statement rather calmly. "I should say the same thing. Instead, I find you disobeying my rules once again." The man slowly walked up to the small girl, who was too afraid to move. "What have I told you before, Elsa?"_

 _"I-I shouldn't use my magic."_

 _"And all you have to do is to follow that one simple rule like a good girl. It makes things easier for both of us. I always tell you to be a good girl." Fritjof kneels to Elsa's level. "Are you a good girl, Elsa?" The girl did not move or say anything. "Come now, dear. Answer the question."_

 _"Ye-Yes," Elsa answered meekly._

 _The man turned his head away for a brief moment before his right hand suddenly went across his face. A small impact had pushed her towards the ground, knocking her into the snowman. A stinging sensation was on her left cheek. She places her hand there as an attempt to sooth the pain. Hand still on her cheek, she glances up to see her master staring her down with a dark expression._

 _"A good girl follows the rules. A good girl does not lie about being good. A good girl does not foolishly use her magic when I tell her not to many times! You, Elsa, were not a good girl."_

 _"I'm sorry. I was just-"_

 _"Just what, exactly?!"_

 _"I just wanted to play…"_

 _That answer did not seem to sit well with Fritjof. It only seemed to make him angrier._

 _"Play?" he said in a mocking matter. "Is it play if you struck someone with your magic? Is play when you unintentionally struck on someone when they come in to give your meals? We have rules for a reason. To prevent these things. It is why I only ask you to use your magic only when I'm here. And yet you continue to ignore my rules!"_

 _"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"_

 _"After what I just witnessed? No, it's clear to me now. If scoldings won't get through to you, then I have no choice but to take higher measures." Fritjof grabbed Elsa's wrist and walked her to the wall, pinning her against it._

 _"Please. I really am sorry! I'll be good!"_

 _"I'm sorry, Elsa, but this is for your own good." The man reached his hand behind his back and pulled out a knife. "Bad people always get what they deserve."_

 _Fritjof lifted the tip of the knife onto the cheek he struck Elsa not too long ago. The cool blade made its contact with the skin on her warm cheek. It then pushed hard against her cheek until a small drop of blood came out. Then, Fritjof proceeded to slowly slice the blade across her cheek. With each movement, Elsa could feel the stings of the blade splitting apart her skin. Several whimpers escaped from her as it went on. It seemed to last for a long time before it finally stopped._

 _The hold on her then released. Elsa slid down onto the ground with her back still pressed against the wall. Tears fell down her face as she places her palm on the bleeding cheek. Fritjof stood up, wiping the blood off his blade before placing it back. A feign remorse grew on his face._

 _"I'm sorry it had to come to this, Elsa, but I had no choice. Now, will you be a good girl?" The small child gave a weak nod. "Good. I would hate for you to be a bad girl. This world is already cruel and wicked enough as it is." He then crouched down to her level, cupping her chin with his hand. "You should consider yourself lucky. Some people would've done far much worse, solely because of what you can do." He moved her head up, eye level meeting his. "But you and I will one day take care of that. With your magic, we can make the world a better place. We can't do that if you use your magic for play, can we?"_

 _"N-no…" Elsa stuttered._

 _"Exactly. And I can't have you disobeying me as well. Have you learned your lesson?" Elsa nodded, earning a dark smile from the man. "Good girl." He stood to his feet. "I expect all this ice snow to be gone by tomorrow. Is that clear?"_

 _"Yes…"_

 _"Good." He walked towards the door-frame. "Sleep well, darlin'."_

 _With that Fritjof made his leave. The thud of the door closing soon followed, leaving Elsa alone in the room. She curled herself against the wall, hand still on the cheek. After a few minutes, she starts to cry. The rest of the night onward she remained in that position until exhaustion caught up to her and she fell asleep against the wall._

* * *

A deep sigh exits Elsa's mouth as she lowered her head, hands on her head. Her friends had very different reactions. They were both shocked and appalled at what she had told them, Anna especially never figure that Elsa's former life was that bad.

"He really did that to you?"

"Yes." Elsa looks up back to Anna. "After that, he made a pair of these...gloves." She traces her hand over the gauntlet. "There were connected by chains, along with an additional cuff around my neck. I would wear them when I was locked in my room or do chores around the stronghold. I would only take them off when Fritjof wanted me to demonstrate my powers. That didn't stop him finding excuses to beat me. Even the smallest mistakes, he'll beat me, even for something I didn't do."

Elsa then told them other examples of Fritjof's cruelty towards her. How he would make her overwork herself with doing chores or demonstrate her magic, how some of his men would sometimes join in on her beatings, how sometimes Elsa would go days without food as punishment, or how he even locked her in her room with interaction for days as well. Needless to say, those were only a few examples of Elsa's horrible life.

Anna covered her own mouth with her hand, trying her best to break down as told her sad tale. Kristoff felt more angry than sad but kept his composer. They both could not believe that this 'Fritjof' person would be so cruel to someone as sweet and gentle as Elsa.

"How did you escape that…" There were many words Kristoff wanted to use, but feeling that it wouldn't calm him down, he only could muster out "...monster?"

"When I was eight, he wanted me to do something...very bad. I didn't, and he got mad. Just when he was about to beat me, my magic broke through one of the gloves. I took that moment to run away. I ran until I was far enough away from him. Not too long after, I found myself here and lived here alone since, until I met you guys."

A small smile appeared on Elsa's face before it quickly shrank.

"Even though I'm safe here, he still haunts me in my dreams. In them, he taunts me and tells me horrible things. The dream I had...involved you two." She faced away from them, trying to hold back tears. "In the dream he...he killed both of you." She covered her mouth as a tear trail down her cheek, holding back a sob. Her head remained down until she felt movement on her side as something touched her shoulder. Anna had moved from her chair and is sitting next to Elsa.

"Elsa, what Fritjof did to you was...beyond horrible. You didn't deserve that. I'm sorry you went through that. But you're safe now, you know why?" Elsa weakly shook her head. "Because you have us. You're not alone. You have me, Kristoff, Olaf, Marshmallow, The Snowgies, and even Sven. If Fritjof or anyone for the matter wants to hurt you we'll protect you from him. And if we do get hurt, then better us than you."

"You would sacrifice yourself for me?"

"Of course. You're my family."

"You mean that?"

"I do."

"So do I," Kristoff chimed in. "I was skeptical of you in the beginning, but spending time with you made me see why Anna cares for you so much. If she has your back then so do I."

"You want to hold my back?"

"No, Elsa. It means we'll be by your side when you need it," Anna said.

"You guys mean it?"

"Course we do."

The ice wielder took glances at both Anna, then Kristoff. Genuine smiles were across both of their faces. Anna held her hand comfortably as her eyes still have a caring expression. Their words echoed in her head. Before she realizes it, tears streamed out of her eyes. Not of sadness, but of joy.

"Those were probably the nicest words I've ever heard from anyone, ever. Thank you."

A finger could be felt brushing against her cheeks, wiping the tears. "Why don't you get some sleep?" Anna suggested.

"But what about our 'hang out'?"

"You look exhausted. You need a good night sleep."

"I agree. Trust me, it's not good for you to have a lack of sleep," Kristoff said.

"If I do...will you both stay until I fall asleep?" Elsa asked.

The princess gave a smile. "We'll stay with you all night if we have too. I mean that."

"Okay." Anna released her grip from Elsa. Once that was done, she slowly laid on her side. Still, the ice wielder appears to be afraid to close her eyes. "What if I have another nightmare?"

"Then we'll wake you up."

"I still don't feel comfortable about falling asleep."

"You know what helps me fall asleep?" Kristoff spoke up. " I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and think happy thoughts."

"Happy thoughts?" Elsa muttered.

"Yep. They can be something that makes you happy or an event from your past. Anything that makes you happy."

"That's not a bad idea." Anna agreed.

"Okay. I'll try that."

Elsa took a deep breath as she tried to relax. Her eyelids go over both her eyes. In the darkness, she tried to look back through events of her life in an attempt to find something that made her happy. There were very few she could find. Those were the ones that contain her moments with her snow creations, and Anna of course. But there was an event that took place many years prior, just after she freed herself from Fritjof.

* * *

 _10 years ago…_

 _The North Mountain stood tall in the dark night sky. Small specks of snow flow gently all around the imposing mountain. Along the mountain is a small blonde girl about eight years old. Arms wrapped around herself. Her right hand had a gauntlet, while her neck had a cuff with a chain long enough to reach her middle torso._

 _Elsa had been on her own for several days. It had only been a short time since she freed herself from the clutches of her master. She had traveled on her own, and no one else. Unless she counts the snowman she had created, who called himself Olaf. Since creating him, he had also stuck by her side no matter what. They both were traveling until earlier when they decided to take a break at a cave not too far away. Elsa could not rest so she decided to walk around the mountain. There near the top, she stood in place, all alone_

 _"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight. All around is the ice. A place of isolation. A reflection of my life." A small gust of wind blew past her head. "The wind is howling and making their getaway. Couldn't remain there, not for another day."_

 _She looks down on the ground, holding herself even tighter. Words of Fritjoff went through her head, repeatedly._

 ** _'Under my hand, you do what I say. Without me, you're better off dead. Conceal yourself and always bow.'_**

 _Those are the words that were stuck to her head. Sound as clear as if he was here. But he wasn't. Fritjof wasn't here. She was alone. Away from him! Away from his rules. Free to do what she wants._

 _"Well, who's the master now?" With one swift motion, Elsa pulled off the gauntlet from her right hand. Both hands were now free. Free to express her magic._

 _"Let it go. Let it go. Can't listen to you anymore!" Elsa made a small swirl of with each of her hands individually. Then she swirls them both together close to her chest. She decided to shoot her magic right into the air. "Let it go! Let it go! Turn away and not be yours!" The young girl glances to her side and used both of her hands to made bigger gusts of snow, which she repeated again. "I don't care about what you say! Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me anyway!"_

 _With a smile on her face, she towards the mountain in front of her. An idea popped into her head. One that made her smile grew as she made her way towards the mountain top_

 _"It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small." She briefly faces the mountain range all around her. "And the abuse that once controlled me can't get to me at all!"_

 _With that, she ran closer to the top. Separating her from it was a gorge that was in between. This didn't stop her._

 _"It's time to see what I can do! To test the limits and break through No right, no wrong, no rules for me!" With one swift motion of her arms, the bottom of a staircase covered with frost appears near the edge of the gorge. She ran towards it and examines her creation. Placing her foot on the first step the frost cleared away, revealing an icy surface. "I'm free!"_

 _Sticking out her arms, she ran up as a beautiful ice staircase extended in front of her all the way until she reached the top. "Let it go! Let it go! I'm one with the wind and sky! Let it go! Let it go! You'll never see me cry! Here I stand, and here I stay!" Elsa ran to the center of the large cliff. With a big stomp, a giant snowflake formed beneath her. "Let the storm rage on."_

 _The ice wielder lifted her arms as the snowflake below her became a platform. It lifted her perhaps several stories high into the air. But Elsa was not done yet._

 _"My power flurries through the air into the ground! My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around! And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast!"_

 _With another motion, Elsa places her magic on the snowflake platform before lifting her arms up. Large walls of ice raise up all around her as they go even higher. One the walls finished growing, the large triangular ceiling formed. The young looked around the ice room she had created. All this time she never figures she was capable of making something this amazing! As she continues to look she caught a reflection of herself on one of the icy walls. Her reflection stared back at her, with the cuff and chain still stuck to her neck._

 _"I'm never going back, the past is in the past!" Frost form on the chain as Elsa had it in her grip. The frost formed until the neck chain & cuff were completely covered. With one hard pull, Elsa broke the neck cuff off of her. "Let it go! Let it go!" She gave her neck a nice soothing rub._

 _Looking at her reflection again she took notice of the old, ugly dress she wore. Another idea came to her head. Ice formed on the bottom of her dress. As it rose, the ugly fabric of her dress became a beautiful shade of blue. She even manages to create sleeves, and ice shoes on her bare feet._

 _"And I'll rise like the break of dawn! Let it go! Let it go! That timid girl is gone!"_

 _Once her new outfit had been made, Elsa walked over to the other side of the room. Lifting up her hands, she created a pair of large doors. Once complete, she opened them and started to make a large balcony._

 _"Here I stand in the light of day! Let the storm rage on!"_

 _And just like that, it was done. Elsa looked at the exterior of her creation. It had resembled a palace from the books she had read. Perhaps with time, she will make improvements. But it was perfect. This whole place is a perfect place to live for her and Olaf. After all._

 _"The cold never bothered me anyway!"_

 _With that, she went back inside. Closing the doors behind her. Thus, begging her life of solitude in the mountain._

* * *

Both eyelids open slowly. The room around her was somewhat brighter than it was earlier. Elsa rubbed her eyes as she sat up on her bed, a yawn escaped her mouth as well. She felt...relaxed. Something caught her eye when she gave her arms a stretch. In a corner not too far from her head, Anna and Kristoff were slumped against the wall, sleeping soundly.

"They've been here all night." A voice gave her a slight jump.

"Olaf! I've told you not to do that."

"Sorry."

Elsa returns her glance to her sleeping friends. A warm feeling grew in her, knowing that they have chosen to stay by her side all night.

"You seem happy."

"They gave me some advice, and it worked."

"That's great!" Olaf exclaimed. "Shouldn't we wake them up?"

Elsa took a quick glance at her window. Dawn is peaking its way through the mountain range. But Elsa figures it was still early.

"We'll give them a little while."

"Okay. I'll go play with Sven!" Olaf waddled his way out of the room.

After the snowman left, Elsa returns her gaze on her sleeping friends. It really makes her wonder if she really did deserve to have them as friends. Even all these months they stood by her, helped her, teach her everything they know. Perhaps fate finally decided to be kind to her. Sometimes she feared something would take them away, whether by her friend's terms or some other malicious force. Well, there was no way that was gonna happen. She wouldn't

And if someone, or Fritjof, does hurt them she will return the kindness that her friends gave her.

* * *

 **Guess who decided to get off her lazy ass and decided to post this baby?** **You can promptly thank the Frozen 2 teaser for the motivation.**

 **Anyways, we now know the mystery of Elsa's caretaker. I apologize if this chapter seems a bit messy. I finished and edited it last night and I did not want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Next chapter will hopefully be more light filled. And hey, you can't have Frozen without 'Let it Go'.**

 **And before some of you may ask, Kristoff and Fritjof are not related. And let me tell you now, this won't be the last time we hear of Fritjof.**

 **Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy reading.**


	29. A Whole New World

**A Whole New World**

 _June 21st, 1836_

"A little more to the left!"

"Your left or ours?"

"My left!"

The two servants moved the huge bukkehorn as Agdar took a quick look around the courtyard, which littered with various decorations.

Today marked the fifteenth year since the birth of Princess Anna. These occasions have always consist of small parties due to Agdar's paranoia, but this year will be different as Agdar himself took the mantle as the party planner. The past several weeks he had spent planned everything, wanting to give his daughter a wonderful birthday.

Even it includes ignoring the bags under his eyes.

"Do we really need that old thing?" He hears Idun's voice cut in.

"The birthday bukkehorn is a family tradition. One that I don't plan to end." Agdar signaled for the servants moving the large instrument to stop. The king walked across the courtyard. "Gerda, go make sure the cooks started on the cake."

"Yes, your majesty."

"And make sure its a chocolate ice cream cake." He shouted as she left, giving out a small yawn.

"Are you alright, dear?"

"I'm fine, love. Someone get a vase of flowers on this table!"

"Don't you think you're working this too hard. You've been at this for weeks."

A deep sigh escaped from the king. "I don't want to screw this up for Anna. I've robbed her the chance for her to have a real birthday party for so much of her life. I just want everything to be perfect."

"And you're doing a great job."

"Yeah, relax. Everything looks great!" The sound of Kristoff's voice came not too far from the monarchs.

"See, even Kristoff agrees. She'll love it regardless if it's perfect or not."

"Speaking of perfect, what do you guys think?"

The two rulers looked over to see a large banner with the words 'Happy Birthday Anna' in crudely painted in various colors hanging above Kristoff. One of the paints dripped off onto Sven. Both monarchs gave they gave polite, yet nervous smiles.

"It's...wonderful." Idun side glance at her husband, who still couldn't form his words, nudges him with her elbow.

"Oh, yes. Truly excellent indeed." The sounds of the clock's chime echoed through the courtyard. "Oh, it's time! You two remember the plan?"

"Yes, dear. I go get Anna ready for the day."

"And then I keep Anna occupied, while you guys finish up here, correct?" Kristoff followed up after the queen as he removed the last bucket from Sven.

"Now let's get to it. We don't have all day." Agdar turned a full 180 as he walked away.

Idun rubbed her forehead. "Lord, give me strength."

"I guess I'm finished here."

"You remember what to do? Don't bring Anna back until-"

"Five o'clock, I know."

"Good. I'll see you then, Kristoff."

"She thinks you're an idiot," Sven said to him once Idun was out of an earshot.

"Well, clearly she's wrong," Kristoff replied smugly before he trots onto a table, almost knocking over an expensive looking vase. Thankfully no one, including the king, did not see his misstep, so he manages to carry on as nothing happened.

 _"Now we go into phase 2 for the day."_

* * *

The sight of Anna drooling, arm draped over her head, and messy hair is a sight Idun typically expected to see whenever she found her daughter sleeping. In the queen's arms was a white bag attached to a hanger and a bowtie on top, to which she hung up.

"Anna, wake up," Idun cooed.

"What for? Can't I just sleep?"

"Even though your birthday?"

"Birthday...It's my birthday? Why didn't you say so before?" The young princess jumped out of bed, not giving Idun the chance to further speak. The first stop she made was her closet. "I need to find something good to wear!"

Particles of clothing were thrown throughout the room. Idun gave a playful smile as she picked up the clothing.

"Where's my rose dress?"

"Still 'recovering' from the last time you wore it."

"Oh, right. Sorry!"

A shoe flew past Idun's face and struck the wall. "Please don't to make a mess."

"How 'bout this?" Anna wore a bright purple dress with some tacky patterns.

A hesitant smile crept across the queen's lips. "Do you want my honest opinion?"

Taking notice of how her mother spoke, Anna quickly took off the dress and resume searching in her closet. Idun resume cleaning the mess her daughter made when she heard her spoke with a gasp, "What is this?"

The second dress Anna is wearing is a rather large, poofy orange dress made for a build that was obviously too big for Anna to properly wear.

"Oh. That wasn't supposed to be in there."

Anna didn't seem to take interest in her mother's confusion as she started goofing around, moving her waist in different directions. "Oh, la la! My hips are here. My hips are there. Oh, pardon my behind, young man. Didn't mean to knock you over."

"It was just a gift," Idun manage to speak out through her giggles.

"From whom?"

"I don't know. Equis, Dubroch, one of those fancy countries. Now before you go back in, I have something you." The queen handed her daughter the bag that was hanging on the door, along with a small box. Under the cloth revealed to be a dress with a navy blue bodice which has olive, crimson, green, and orange prints on the front with copper linings, and a light chartreuse short-sleeved blouse accompanied by an apple-green colored sleeveless cropped gilet. The skirt is a teal color with sunflower patterns. In the box had light olive stockings and black ballet flats

"A new dress?"

"Courtesy of me and your father."

"Thanks! You two must be in a generous mood if you're giving me gifts now."

"Only that. The rest you'll have to wait later."

"Aw, do I have too?" Anna whined in mock child's voice.

"Yes, you do. Now stop goofing around."

"But I can barely fit through the doorway."

Another giggle escaped the queen as Anna went behind the changing screen to put on her dress, toss out the orange dress. Idun mentally notes to have a talk with the laundry ladies at a later date.

Anna emerges from the screen several moments later. "How do I look?"

"Wonderful. Now let's do something about that hair of yours."

"Could you do it in a bun? I feel doing something different"

"Of course, sweetheart."

It took several moments for Idun to properly brushed and styled Anna's hair into a bun, even braiding a lock turning it into a headband. "There we go."

"Thanks, Mama."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright. You go enjoy your day."

"Okay, mama. Thanks again for the dress!"

The young teen made a dash out of her room. Excitement swept through her mind, but for different reasons.

* * *

Elsa had no clue what was going on. What she did know was that today was Anna's birthday. A week before, Anna told Elsa that she planned a special outing for that day. Part of the plan she knew was Kristoff arriving to pick her up to take her to their meeting spot with Anna. Kristoff had been kind enough to let her ride on Sven. As they rode on the area around Elsa started to be a bit familiar.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see soon."

Soon was just about another ten minutes when they begin climbing up a tall hill. A familiar figure is seen pacing across the top until they noticed the individuals climbing.

"Took you long enough."

"Hello to you too."

"I'm glad you made it, Elsa."

"I'm always happy to see you too, Anna. But may I ask what are we doing...today?" As she finally manages to reach the hilltop Elsa looked to the series of buildings behind Anna. She got off Sven to get a closer look to realize it was the city of Arendelle. "Arenedlle? Why are we here?"

"That's what today's about."

"What do you mean?"

A deep breath escapes Anna before she started speaking. "I know throughout most of your life you've had bad experiences with people. When you told me what happened, last month it made me realize just how awful those people were too you.

Anna gave a side glance to Kristoff. "That night when we watched you sleep, we came up with a plan. You've already seen the worst of humanity, but we want to show you the best side of it by taking you around Arendelle."

"You both want me to go there?" Elsa spoke up, clearly apprehensive about that suggestion.

"I understand if you're don't want to, but it'll be great for you. A day in town with just the three of us." A small grunt came from the reindeer. "And Sven of course."

"What if something happens?"

"Don't worry, we got your back," Kristoff said.

Anna extended her hand. "Do you trust us?"

Elsa spent the next few minutes making her decision. Ten years she evaded human contact mostly out of fear of meeting people like Fritjof. But she knew Anna & Kristoff were nothing like him. It did not take long to answer.

"Yes." Elsa accepted Anna's hand.

All three friends and reindeer made their way down the hill until grass ground turned into cobblestone. Elsa's heart heated rapidly in her chest, clenching her hand in Anna's tightly. Unlike her visit months ago where it was dark and empty, the streets were bright and filled with people.

"There are so many people."

"This time yeah brings a lot of activity, especially with tourists." The other reason why Anna planned to bring Elsa into town today to avoid anyone giving her suspicious glances.

"So what do you ladies want to do first?" Kristoff asked them.

An idea pooped into Anna's head when she noticed Elsan wearing one of her old worn blue dress and hood rather than her extravagant ice dress. "Shopping," all she answered.

* * *

Elsa walked inside with Anna in tow. In the older girl's view were long rows of clothing in various colors, styles, and shapes.

"That's a lot of clothes."

"Welcome to the world of fashion."

"Are you getting me all of these?"

Anna giggled. "I could do that, but were only buying the ones you want."

"But I don't even know which ones I like."

"No worries. I know just the person to help."

Anna guided Elsa to a counter where a blonde woman about a decade older than the two girls is sitting at.

"Hey, Caissie."

"Princess! It has been so long!" Caissie smiled. "I love the dress."

"Thanks."

"So is there anything I can help you with?"

"Not me, but I was hoping you could help my friend here find some new clothes." Anna gesture Elsa closer to the desk. She gave an awkward wave to the woman.

"Hi, I'm Elsa."

"Nice to meet you, Elsa. I'm Cassandra, but you call me Caissie if you prefer." The woman's expression turned curious. "I don't believe I've seen you around here before."

"She recently moved here," Anna spoke up. "I'm helping her get some new clothes."

"I see. Anyways what type of clothes are you looking for, Elsa?"

"I...don't know."

"No worries. I know someone who can help you. Patti!" Another woman emerged from the back. She appears to be several years younger, and her hair color is similar to Anna's.

"You called?"

"Yes. Our friend, Elsa, right here could use your help in finding clothes that suit her."

"Not a problem. Let me just get a look at you." The woman slowly circled around the ice wielder, making several comments as she did. "Hmm, a good figure. Good height, plenty dress to fit your length. Love your hair, by the way. Good waist size, perfect if wish to have children one day."

"What?"

"I don't want to sound judgmental, but what is going on with this dress? It looks it could fall apart any moment! Were you raised in the mountains?"

"Uhh, something like that...?" Elsa gave a timid smile.

"I believe I know what to look for. We have plenty of selections for you to try."

* * *

 _2 Hours later…_

Kristoff sat right in front of the clothing store, with a bored Sven by his side.

"What's taking them so long?"

"You know women and shopping, buddy."

A huff escaped from the reindeer. Kristoff could only pat his head. Then from the corner of his eye, the door to the shop opened with Elsa in a purple dress with a long-sleeved vest over blouse and bodice. Anna emerged from behind, with bags in her hand.

"You both took your time."

"Sorry." Anna rubbed her neck as her face blushed. "Elsa wanted to try everything she liked."

"I noticed. Love the outfit, Elsa"

"Thank you. I think this one is my favorite. I even got one in blue, too!"

"You really love your blue. Anyways, now that you ladies have done your shopping."

A grumble emerges from Elsa's stomach. "Could we get anywhere to eat?"

"Sure. There's a cafe not far that makes GREAT sandwiches." Anna said.

Anna & Kristoff took Elsa to a cafe. She ended up trying Anna's recommendation of sandwiches, along with a slice of chocolate cake. Once taking a bite Elsa pretty gobbled down her entire lunch. That earned a few stares from the patron and some of the staff.

Once everyone finished their lunch the two friends took Elsa around a tour of Arendelle. Showing every shop, stand, anything they could.

One of their first stops was chocolate shop Elsa watch the people inside making through the window. As Anna stood by her side answering her questions, Kristoff stood on the side. He noticed two boys around his age, who he figure out to be tourists, making lewd gazes at them. When the girls went into the shop he gave them 'a talk' and the boys scrambled away. Thankfully all of this was done with any incidents, nor the girls noticing as they rejoined him

Their second stop on the tour where they encountered a bard playing the accordion. The man, who called himself Kass, was happy enough to share his songs. One that Elsa regarding enjoying was about a boy from a kingdom called Agrabah who found a lamp and married a princess. Anything that stuck to her is that he also really likes birds.

Later on, they went to the marketplace. Elsa was running to each stand like an excited child. The more stands she visited fueled her curiosity. It made it difficult for her other friends to catch up, more so with the summer crowd.

Elsa couldn't hold down her excitement of exploring this whole new world. A hundred thousand things for her to see!

A large wall with a mural painting of a girl caught her eye. Several flowers had been placed in front of the mural. She couldn't help but keep on staring the girl, especially at her hair and those blue eyes. They were almost like...

"Elsa!" Anna's voice snapped the girl out of her trance. She went to the direction of her voice. "There you are! Don't run off like that!"

"Sorry. I got too excited."

"Just don't do that, please."

"I promise."

The girls catch up with Kristoff and the three resumed their tour of the town. A few more hours had gone by as they explored. They finally made it to the town square.

"And our last stop is the town square. Here, many people would often gather for our festivals, and it's connected to the harbor where the ships dock."

"It's certainly lovely."

Elsa looked around as she walked to the square. She saw a group men erupt in a series of joyous laughter near the docks, small children playing around the overhead, accompanied by a small dog, and a young man giving a woman a flower before she gave him a kiss. One sight Elsa seemed to enjoy was a man holding a small boy on his shoulders with a woman next to him, holding a baby. They all looked so happy.

This is perhaps the most peaceful, the most beautiful place Elsa has ever been too.

Music came to her ears. Looking to her side she saw a small group of men playing instruments.

"What are they doing?"

"They're street performers."

"What are those?"

"People who play music in the streets. Sometimes for money, or sometimes for fun. Speaking of fun, I think some dancing could lighten the mood." Anna eyed Kristoff.

"Don't even think about it, feisty pants."

"Please, Kristoff?" She gave him the puppy eyes.

"Fine," he said with a sigh. "But only because it's your birthday."

"Great! Wanna join, Elsa?"

"I don't dance. I'll just watch you guys."

"Suit yourself. C'mon Kristoff!"

The two friends went near the musicians where they both started dancing. Anna coaxed other people to join in which several people did. It went towards fifteen, maybe twenty other people join in while everyone who was watching cheered them on. Elsa, alongside Sven, stood in the crowd. She has to admit that it looks fun. The reindeer took notice of Elsa's desired look. He gets a look as he used his rear end to push Elsa into the dancing crowd.

She stumbled before straightening herself. That when she noticed the many eyes staring down at her. Her body was frozen in place, figuratively, before she followed its instincts as she started tap dancing in place. The crowd seemed to like it judging by their cheering.

"Not bad for someone who doesn't dance," Anna commented

A cheeky smiled grew across Elsa's mouth. "Not so bad yourself, princess." She then twirled around as she continues her improvised tap dancing. Then Anna decided to join with her.

* * *

Nearby, Kai was standing near the pathway leading into the square.

The King has been putting all of his effort to the party. Kai knew for certain that he lost some sleep over it. He could tell by his sluggish movements. He also swore to have seen Agdar dozed off for brief moments. The queen took notice of this, thankfully, and practically took over the planning, though Agdar wouldn't back down.

Then it was discovered they were several items & food missing for the party. The Queen assigned Kai & Gerda to retrieve them. They both decided to split up to save time. Kai had finished his part and was waiting for his wife. On the bright side, it was nice for him to go into town. Not much had changed since his last outing, aside from the number of tourists. That was the only downside about this time of year but he could deal with it.

The sound of music & cheering caught his ear. Among the dancing crowd, one of them Kai recognized as the princess. A smile grew on his face until he noticed the girl she was dancing with. Her almost white hair stood out among the crowd, but her facial features what stuck to him the most. A feeling in his gut told him that he knew this girl. For a moment, he wondered…

"Kai?" The sound of Gerda's voice.

"Oh, Gerda. Did you find everything?"

"I did."

"Good. We should head back."

The couple made their way to the castle. However, Kai did a double take to the crowd but no longer can see the girl.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm fine dear," Kai assured his wife. "I thought I saw someone I knew."

The three friends were sitting on the top of the clock tower to relax. Anna and Kristoff just lounge around while Elsa took the whole view of the town.

"What a day," She heard Anna say.

"You're telling me," Kristoff followed up.

"It was tiring, but it was really-"

"Sick…?" Both friends eyed at Elsa bewilderingly. "It's an expression for something cool, awesome, and amazing." She glances at them, giving a small smile.

Anna smiled amusingly. "Yeah, it was."

Elsa returned her sights to the town below her. Today's event played through her mind again and again. But there was something itching her, and not the kind of itch she could just scratch off.

"Anna, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"When I got ahead of you guys I saw this large painting with a small girl."

"The young girl with white hair?"

Elsa nodded.

Both Anna and Kristoff gave nervous glances. Anna sat up in a more direct position, straighten herself out. "Do you remember, a while ago, when I told you about my sister?" Elsa nodded her head. "That painting is supposed to be her. A tribute."

Elsa responded with a small 'ah' before the silence resumed. "What exactly happened to her?"

"To tell you the truth, no one knows," Kristoff said.

Elsa tilted her head in confusion. "I don't understand."

"She was kidnapped," A sadness lingered in Anna's voice. "Some men broke into the castle and took her. She was only three. The kingdom searched for her for months but nothing came up. Its as if she completely disappeared. This happened just four months before I was born."

Elsa's heart grew heavy from hearing that statement. When Anna first told her of her sister she always assumed that she died. Somehow, this was perhaps an even worse outcome.

She noticed Anna looking down at her lap with a somber look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make feel sad."

"It's fine. You didn't do anything wrong." Anna moved her gaze to the town. Quite often the past few months she would think about her sister at least once a day. Many times she wondered...what would life be if her sister was never taken?

What would their relationship be like most of all? Anna had heard people tell their stories, mostly horror stories, of their own experiences of having siblings. But from what her parents had shared, her sister was a very sweet girl and was very much excited about becoming a sister herself.

Would her sister watch over her as she slept in the crib? Would she be willing to play with her in the middle of the night? Would she be willing to do anything to keep her safe? Who knows?

"Y'know, she was also named Elsa, too."

"That's...nice."

Truth to be told, Anna had no idea why she shared that information to Elsa. She felt like it was something to be done.

The clock gave a loud chime, scaring Elsa nearly half to death.

"4:30," Kristoff spoke.

"Shoot," Anna muttered. "I have to be home soon. I'm afraid we have to end things here."

"It's fine. I probably should get back before Olaf & Marshmallow gets worried," Elsa said.

They all climb down the tower stairs and walk outside, where Sven had woken up from a small nap.

"You can get back home yourself okay?" Anna asked

"I'll be fine. I had a fun time today." Elsa glanced down sorrowfully. "And...I'm sorry I didn't get you a present."

"Seeing you have a good time was the greatest gift you could give me. That's what matters,"

Both girls smiled at each other. Without any warning, they gave each other a hug that lasted for only for a few moments.

"I'll see you later?"

"Sure. Happy Birthday, Anna."

They all parted ways. Anna & Kristoff going one way, Elsa going the opposite until she was out of their view. The rest of the walk back home Anna remained quiet. More quiet than usual. It wasn't until they were crossing the castle bridge when Kristoff brought it up.

"You okay, feisty pants? You've been awfully quiet."

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"Well, I know what will bring your spirits up. But first, close your eyes. And don't peek."

"Okay," she closes both of her eyes. Big hands gently grabbed her own as they guide her. "Can I open them now?"

"Just about...now."

When Anna opened her eyes up she's greeted by the sight of a highly decorated courtyard, and the crowd of people gathered around with big smiles and yelled out "Surprise! Happy birthday, Anna!"

A huge grin grew across Anna's mouth. "Wow! Is all this for me?"

"All for you, sweetheart." Anna turned to her parents standing nearby.

"You guys did all this?"

"Most of it was me." Idun gently nudges Agdar's side. "With the help of your mother of course."

"You didn't have to go through this trouble."

Agdar lifted his hand signal her to be silent. "I've been holding you back for too long. What happened in February made me realize that life's to short to hold back. I promised myself to no longer do that by letting you live the life you deserve."

"Thank you."

"Now then, let the party begin. And, let today be the start of your future."

Everyone around let out happy cheers. Despite the high volumes, Agdar yawn did not escape Anna's ears.

"Are you okay, Papa?"

"Of course I'm fine..."

He sluggishly toppled to the side as Idun grabbed his arm to prevent him from falling over. "He's been busy putting this party together. And now he's going to sleep."

"Wait! All that's left to do is for the king to blow the royal bukklehorn." He reached out to the huge instrument and gave a hard blow. That must've taken whatever energy he had left as he finally succumbed to slumber, slumping over Idun's shoulders.

"At least he's sleeping now."

"He gonna be okay?" Kristoff asked.

"I imagine he'll be out for a while," she moved Agdar to Kai, instructing the servant to take him to bed.

The party went on without a hitch for the next several hours. Everyone attending were enjoying themselves. Gift giving and cake eating events had passed so the guests were just mingling. During this Anna manage to slip away from the party. She sat at the banks on the side of the castle, staring into the fjord leading into the woods.

"Hey, you okay? You're missing the party," a familiar said behind her.

"I just needed some air. I'll be back in soon."

Instead of leaving as she hoped, Kristoff sat next to her. "Are you really alright?"

"I am, really. The party is wonderful. It's just...I wish Elsa could be here as well instead of being alone out there. I know she doesn't like being around people, but she was so great today. I wish we could do more of that."

"Maybe...maybe you should tell your parents about her?"

Anna looked at him as if he were crazy. "What?!"

"You've known her for about four months now. I think now's a good time to tell them. I would if I were in your shoes. But I'm not you so I can't exactly-"

"You're right," Anna cut him off. "It's been on my mind the past few weeks. The problem is I don't know how to bring it up to either of them.

She placed her hands on her head.

"Are you free tomorrow?" Kristoff spoke up after a few moments.

"Well with my father's sleep deprived state, I'm gonna assume I won't be starting my queen lessons tomorrow. Why?"

"Because I think I know someone who might be able to solve our dilemma."

* * *

 **Man it's been a while, hasn't it? I don't why but lately whenever I try to write I feel drained out. I guess thats what happens when you have a job and go to university, and I have a tendency to get easily distracted. Not to mention I had trouble writing out this chapter so it maybe a bit sloppy. T** **he Aladdin remake (yeah thats where the title came from), Frozen 2 trailer, and Toy Story 4 has helped motivate me getting this done. Hopefully it can do the same when the The Lion remake comes out.**

 **And before you come after me, I will say my bullshit ends here. What I mean by that you'll see the next chapter.**

 **Yes, those two women in the clothing shop are named after Elsa & Anna's Broadway actresses. And there's a Zelda reference here as well.**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Thank you for the favs, follows, and reviews. Happy reading.**


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